Abstract: The invention relates to a control plane network entity for providing a multicast/broadcast service to one or more user equipments (UEs) in a cellular communication network using one or more user plane functions of a plurality of selectable user plane functions. The network entity includes processing circuitry configured to: receive a request for a multicast/broadcast service for the one or more UEs, wherein the request comprises one or more identifiers identifying the one or more UEs and/or one or more spatial regions the one or more UEs are located in; select one or more user plane functions of the plurality of selectable user plane functions on the basis of the one or more identifiers for providing the multicast/broadcast service to the one or more UEs; and provide the one or more selected user plane functions with information about the multicast/broadcast service.

Abstract: A method supports transfer of service traffic between an external network entity and a second network entity. The method includes: sending, by the second network entity, a first transfer request to a first network entity, wherein the transfer request includes first service traffic; receiving, by the first network entity, the first transfer request from the second network entity, and sending, by the first network entity, a second transfer request to the external network entity, the second transfer request including the first service traffic; and receiving, by the second network entity, a fourth transfer request from the first network entity, the fourth transfer request including second service traffic.

Abstract: According to a new generation mobile network, the generation of analytics information in the mobile network, and a network analytics tracing entity and network analytics training entity configured to obtain and perform one or more rollback actions, tracing an analytics ID or one or more analytics outputs for the analytics ID, an inference or training rollback for an unstable analytics ID or for at least one unstable analytics output for the analytics ID are concerned. To this end, a network analytics tracing entity configured to: obtain an indication with information to activate a tracing of one or more analytics outputs for an analytics ID, and/or a tracing of the analytics ID, and provide a rollback notification including one or more rollback actions related to the analytics ID, if an output for the analytics ID is unstable and/or if the analytics ID is unstable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to Edge Computing (EC) systems. The invention presents an EC entity of an EC system, and a Mobile Communication Core (MCC) entity for a MCC system, like a 3GPP system. The EC entity is configured to obtain topology information of the EC system, and expose the topology information to another network, in particular to a MCC system. The MCC entity is configured to receive topology information of an EC system from the EC entity, and provide the topology information to a Network Exposure Function (NEF) or to a Policy Control Function (PCF) of the MCC system.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to external services provided to a network. For example, the disclosure proposes network entities that are involved in at least one of registration of an external network entity or registration of one or more services provided by the external network entity, and entities that are involved in transfer of service traffic from an external network entity providing one or more services to another network entity consuming the one or more services. For instance, the disclosure proposes a network entity for supporting at least one of registration of the external network entity or registration of one or more services of the external network entity at another network entity.

Abstract: A consumer of an analytics output receives control and/or knowledge about a set of parameters that is used for generating the analytics output. A set of baseline parameters is used for generating the analytics output, which (a) is associated with a set of analytics consumers and/or with a set of analytics types, and (b) is related to at least one of a statistical property and/or process and/or an output strategy for providing an analytics output. Network entities and corresponding methods for analytics generation and for consuming analytics may be used for generating an analytics output based on the set of baseline parameters.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for improving a mobile network system. In one example method, the apparatus may comprise an Application Function, AF, and a Policy Control Function, PCF, wherein the AF is configured to request the PCF to configure the multiple QoS levels for the session.

Abstract: An edge computing (EC) entity belongs to an EC system, and a mobile communication core MCC entity belongs to a MCC system, like a 3GPP system. The EC entity is configured to obtain topology information of the EC system, and expose the topology information to another network, in particular to a MCC system. The MCC entity is configured to receive topology information of an EC system from the EC entity, and provide the topology information to a network exposure function (NEF) or to a policy control function (PCF) of the MCC system.

Abstract: A control entity for controlling a communication service of a mobile communication network includes a first communication interface configured to obtain a group quality of service (QoS) treatment requirement for group QoS treatment of a traffic group including one or more communication services in the mobile communication network. The control entity also includes a processor configured to generate one or more QoS flow groups and a corresponding group QoS treatment policy for each QoS flow group based on the obtained group QoS treatment requirement and the traffic group. Each QoS flow group includes at least one of the communication services. The control entity further includes a second communication interface configured to provide QoS group information to one or more network entities in the mobile communication network. The QoS group information includes a QoS flow group identifier and the group QoS treatment policy for a corresponding QoS flow group.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for network slicing, and an apparatus for network slice management, which are usable to support and optimize multi-slice services. The apparatuses provide functional enhancements within different layers of a network architecture. The apparatus for network slicing is configured to determine at least two correlated communication traffic flows for a service, and to bind the at least two correlated communication traffic flows. Further, it is configured to generate, and preferably expose, binding information. The apparatus for network slice management is configured to convert a service requirement of a tenant/application into a joint performance parameter in correlated network slice instances. Further, it is configured to determine a resource allocation for at least one of the network slice instances based on the joint performance parameter.

Abstract: Example network admission control methods and apparatus are described. In one example method, a first network entity of a first network sends a first request to a second network entity in at least one second network. The first request includes one or more of a request of a proposed adjustment of the at least one roaming budget of at least one roaming related parameter, a request of a new budget of the at least one roaming budget of at least one roaming related parameter, and a request of the admission control of the at least one roaming UE for the at least one network slice. The first network entity receives a first response from the second network entity, wherein the first response indicates whether the second network entity accepts or rejects the proposed adjustment of the at least one roaming budget.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a first entity for a communication network, in particular a mobile communication network, configured to obtain, from a second entity and/or a third entity, information for the second entity comprising a request for analytics information and/or a request for a rule related to analytics information that can be provided by the first entity. The first entity can be further configured to provide to the second entity analytics information according to one or more rules, in particular according to the request for analytics information, and/or the requested rule. Alternatively, the first entity can be further configured to forward the obtained information to a fourth entity according to one or more rules. Moreover, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a first entity for a communication network, in particular a mobile communication network, configured to obtain, from a second entity and/or a third entity, information for the second entity comprising a request for analytics information and/or a request for a rule related to analytics information that can be provided by the first entity. The first entity can be further configured to provide to the second entity analytics information according to one or more rules, in particular according to the request for analytics information, and/or the requested rule. Alternatively, the first entity can be further configured to forward the obtained information to a fourth entity according to one or more rules. Moreover, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for improving a mobile network system. In one example method, the apparatus may comprise an Application Function, AF, and a Policy Control Function, PCF, wherein the AF is configured to request the PCF to configure the multiple QoS levels for the session.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses related to mobile network systems. In an implementation, a method comprises configuring, by an application function (AF) of an apparatus in a mobile network system, a policy control function (PCF) to provide a plurality of Quality of Service (QoS) levels for a session related to an application or a service; and requesting, by the AF, the PCF to configure the plurality of QoS levels, wherein a QoS flow is associated with a plurality of QoS profiles for configuring the plurality of QoS levels in response to the QoS flow being established.

Abstract: A control plane network entity for providing a multicast/broadcast service for one or more user equipments in a cellular communication network is provided. The control plane network entity is configured to: receive a session setup request for a multicast/broadcast session for the user equipments, wherein the session setup request comprises one or more identifiers identifying the user equipments and/or one or more spatial regions the user equipments are located in; select one or more access and mobility management function entities of the cellular communication network based on the one or more identifiers for providing the multicast/broadcast session to the user equipments; and send a user plane session setup request to the selected one or more access and mobility management function entities. Moreover, the disclosure relates to a user plane network entity and a radio access network node for anchoring and providing a multicast/broadcast service respectively.

Abstract: A consumer of an analytics output receives control and/or knowledge about a set of parameters that is used for generating the analytics output. A set of baseline parameters is used for generating the analytics output, which (a) is associated with a set of analytics consumers and/or with a set of analytics types, and (b) is related to at least one of a statistical property and/or process and/or an output strategy for providing an analytics output. Network entities and corresponding methods for analytics generation and for consuming analytics may be used for generating an analytics output based on the set of baseline parameters.

Abstract: Analytics information is generated in a new generation mobile network. A first network entity generates the analytics information, and a second network entity and a third network entity support the analytics generation. The first network entity is configured to obtain, from the second network entity or from one or more third network entities, past and/or current association information for an area of interest. Further, it is configured to provide analytics information based on the obtained association information for the area of interest. The past and/or current association information indicates one or more other network entities and/or network properties that, respectively, have been and/or are mapped to or serving the area of interest.

Abstract: Analytics information can be used in a mobile network. Network entities and corresponding methods support the generation of such analytics information. In particular, network entities and methods can facilitate the gathering of information required for the analytics generation. A network entity for analytics generation may be configured to obtain network slice association (NSA) information and/or user plane association (UPA) information from one or more other network entities, where the NSA information indicates a relation between an Access Network (AN) property and a Core Network (CN) property, and the UPA information indicates a network entity configured to transmit data traffic to and/or from a user equipment in the network. Further, the network entity may be configured to provide analytics information, the analytics information being based on the obtained NSA information and/or UPA information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a network entity for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement, SLA, information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the network entity is configured to: obtain a plurality of slice SLA indications, wherein each slice SLA indication is obtained from a network control entity of a first plurality of network control entities; and provide to a network control entity local slice SLA information, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications.