Abstract: A UE, in response to a beam failure being detected for a serving cell that serves the user equipment, determines whether a timer is running. One of the following is performed by the UE: in response to the timer running, a beam failure recovery procedure with a target non-serving cell; or in response to the timer not running, a beam failure recovery procedure with the serving cell. Methods, apparatus, computer programs, and computer program products are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configuring and/or transmitting positioning reference signals (PRS) are provided. One method may include providing, to a user equipment, configuration information (306) for determining reference points for positioning measurements (308) or for user equipment assistance measurements. The assistance information indicates a grouping of downlink reference signals for measurements and reporting.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising, determining, by a source base station, a first target cell and a second target cell for a handover of a user equipment, wherein the first target cell and the second target cell are cells of the same target base station, setting, by the source base station, an identifier of a first handover preparation procedure and an identifier of a second handover preparation procedure, wherein the identifier of the first handover preparation procedure is different compared to the identifier of the second handover preparation procedure, initializing, by the source base station, the first handover preparation procedure to the first target cell and the second handover preparation procedure to the second target cell and binding, by the source base station, the identifier of the first handover preparation procedure and the identifier of the second handover preparation procedure.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for source cell to provide a service/slice indication to the target cell in the handover preparation. The source cell provides to a target cell a list of one or more service/slice specific indications for individual ones of one or more network slices in a request for enhanced handover from the source cell to the target cell in a handover preparation phase. The source cell receives from the target cell, indications in a handover request acknowledgement of one or more selected network slices to be handed over from the source cell to the target cell using enhanced handovers. Performs make-before-break handovers to hand over these selected network slices from the source cell to the target cell and performs normal handovers for the one or more other network slices.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer program product able to determining whether a user equipment in a wireless communications network has applied a stored or acquired system information message of a new system information area within a predefined time, where the user equipment replaced a system information message of an initial system information area with a system information message of another system information area or with a cell-specific system information message of another cell. If the new system information area is equivalent to the system information area of the initial system information area, then the system information message for the initial system information area is applied. If the new system information area is different from the system information area of the initial system information area, then a system information message for that different system information area is applied.

Abstract: An apparatus has means for causing a random access message to be transmitted from a communications device to a target cell while the communications device is connected to a source cell and for receiving from the source cell information indicating that the random access message has been received by the target cell.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a method may include transmitting, by a source network entity, at least one handover prepare request comprising at least one extension indication to a target network entity. The method may further include receiving, by the source network entity, in response to the at least one handover prepare request, at least one handover request response from the target network entity. The method may further include transmitting, by the source network entity, at least one handover command acknowledgement to at least one user equipment based upon the at least one handover request response.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprising: receiving, by a user equipment, instructions based on a determination that a communication sent from the user equipment to at least one network comprising signaling to at least one network node over continuous time slots of at least one uplink connection would cause a problem with the communication; and based on the instructions, preventing by the user equipment the signaling over at least one particular time slot of the at least one uplink connection to overcome the problem, wherein the instructions are received in a recurring pattern indicating the at least one particular time slot.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising: determining the occurrence of a change in System Information; determining whether or not the System Information was transmitted to a user equipment by at least one network apparatus during a time period immediately prior to determining said occurrence; and causing an indication of the occurrence of said change to be transmitted to the user equipment when it is determined that the System Information was transmitted to the user equipment within the time period.

Abstract: A source network apparatus (10) which provides access for a user equipment (30) to a communication network transmits (S102) a handover command to the user equipment (30), the handover command indicating a target network apparatus (20) for providing access for the user equipment (30) to the communication network, and a detach condition on when the user equipment (30) is to detach from the source network apparatus (10) after having accessed the target network apparatus (20) (S204) and received user plane data packets from the target network apparatus (20) (S205), wherein the source network apparatus (10) continues exchanging user plane data packets with the user equipment (30) (S101, S103) until the user equipment (30) detaches (S306) from the source network apparatus (10).

Abstract: A technique of performing a HO includes the source BS sending a HO resume message to the UE at the conclusion of a RACH access procedure that occurs in response to a HO command while a second TRX of the UE continues to exchange data packets with the source BS as if no HO command were issued. By continuing to exchange data with the source BS as if there were no HO command until the HO resume message reintroduces a RACH-less HO procedure, the interruption may be reduced to about 4 msec. At any point in time the UE handles only one protocol stack and only one security, which avoids the complexity of the advanced prior art methods.

Abstract: An apparatus for use by a first communication network control element configured to control a communication connection of at least one communication element in a first network area providing a specific communication capability, the apparatus including processing circuitry, and memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processing circuitry, wherein the memory and the instructions are configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least: to determine that a communication element communicating in the first network area and using the specific communication capability enters a second network area which does not provide the specific communication capability and that there is a switching of the communication connection to the second network area, and to cause sending of connection switching information related to the switching of the communication connection of the communication element to a second communication network control element.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for conditional handovers. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method including sending, by a first node serving a user equipment, a message to a second node, the message including an indication of whether a conditional cell change is prohibited at the second node; and receiving, by the first node, an acknowledgment in response to the message.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: operate the apparatus in a dual connectivity mode, wherein the apparatus is in communication with a master cell group comprising a primary cell and at least one secondary cell and the apparatus is in communication with a secondary cell group comprising a primary cell and at least one secondary cell; detect a radio link failure between the apparatus and the primary cell of the secondary cell group; provide information based on the radio link failure to the primary cell of the master cell group, the information being that the radio link failure occurred on the secondary cell group while waiting for a prepared conditional cell change from the primary cell of the secondary cell group to be fulfilled.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a request for conditional handover from a source node. The method may also include sending a conditional handover request acknowledgment message in response to the request. The method may further include sending a conditional handover cancellation message to a source node. The conditional cancellation message may include a genuine cancellation or a modification-related cancellation. Further, the method may include receiving a response message from the source node in response to the conditional handover cancellation message. In addition, the method may include deciding to keep or release user equipment context based on the response message.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configuring Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources of neighboring cells for inter-cell mobility are provided. One method may include providing, by a network node, at least one reporting configuration to one or more user equipment. The reporting configuration is based on at least one of channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) or synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel (SS/PBCH) blocks. The method may also include receiving at least one measurement report comprising measurement results when and as specified by the at least one reporting configuration.

Abstract: To establish a multi-AP RRC connection with a user device UD the UD in the coverage area of multiple APs selects suitable ones as cluster set candidates and reports this list to a temporary serving AP the UD chooses. The multi-AP connection itself is setup by the cluster set manager CSM. The CSM collects information from each AP about control channels and load in order to choose which APs will be in the cluster, which will be the serving AP, and to setup the multi-AP connection with the UD. Multiple message exchanges are described for this purpose. Once the multi-AP connection is established, if the UD's connection with the serving AP fails the UD can handover to another AP of the cluster set without having to re-establish a new RRC connection. This is particularly useful for networks subject to severe shadowing effects such as mmWave 5G.

Abstract: A method including determining a plurality of access points (APs) to be used in an access point cluster set (CS) for a user device (UD); and for at least one of the plurality of access points (APs), assigning an access point availability state from a plurality of possible access point availability states, where the plurality of possible access point availability states includes a suspended state.

Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to perform at least receiving, by a network device of a communication network, information providing an indication to connect to a network node of the communication network using a Random Access Channel (RACH)-less) signaling procedure; determining that connecting to the network node using the RACH-less signaling procedure has failed; and based on the RACH-less signaling procedure failing, using at least one alternative signaling procedure for connecting to the network node using uplink (UL) resources from RACH-less procedure.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising, determining, by a source base station, a first target cell and a second target cell for a handover of a user equipment, wherein the first target cell and the second target cell are cells of the same target base station, setting, by the source base station, an identifier of a first handover preparation procedure and an identifier of a second handover preparation procedure, wherein the identifier of the first handover preparation procedure is different compared to the identifier of the second handover preparation procedure, initializing, by the source base station, the first handover preparation procedure to the first target cell and the second handover preparation procedure to the second target cell and binding, by the source base station, the identifier of the first handover preparation procedure and the identifier of the second handover preparation procedure.