Abstract: The load on Random Access channels (N)PRACH (i.e., Msg1) is temporally distributed, to better handle synchronized access peaks from machine type devices. Access attempts by wireless devices are distributed in time, based on their identities (e.g., IMSI, which is used for the distribution of paging load) or random draw. The distribution restricts when 5 wireless devices can access the network, either based on System Frame Number or on random access occurrence. The method is implicit, i.e., after the initial System Information (SI) acquisition, wireless devices will automatically apply temporal network access load distribution according to the configuration provided in SI without any need for explicit signaling or re-acquisition of SI. Embodiments of the invention may be advantageously applied to any wireless 10 communication network supporting machine type communications, such as GPRS/EGPRS/ECGSM-IoT and UMTS/HSPA, as well as non-3GPP radio access technologies such as LoRa, Sigfox, and Ingenu.

Abstract: A method performed by an apparatus for handling a User Equipment access to a radio communications network is provided. The UE is using reduced capabilities. The reduced capabilities relate to reduced capabilities for communication in the radio communications network. The apparatus obtains information about a subscriber profile of the UE. When the UE accesses to the radio communications network using reduced capabilities, the apparatus determines whether or not the UE is authorized to access the radio communications network by using reduced capabilities, based on the obtained information about the subscriber profile of the UE.

Abstract: A base station transmits a resource grant indicating a plurality of options from which a wireless device is permitted to select for use in transmitting user data on an uplink during random access. Each respective option comprises a transport block size (TBS) and a number of repetitions. One of the TBSs is a maximum permitted TBS and the other TBSs are derived from the maximum permitted TBS using a predefined set of smaller TBS values. The number of repetitions of each option is determined as a function of the maximum permitted TBS and a corresponding number of repetitions. The wireless device receives the resource grant and transmits the user data on the uplink during random access to the base station according to at least one of the options. The base station receives the user data on the uplink during random access correspondingly.

Abstract: A UE operating in a wireless network receives a paging message from the wireless network and performs a random access procedure in response to the paging message, where performing the random access procedure includes sending an indication of whether the UE will transmit a reply to an early data transmission from the wireless network to the UE. The network receives, as part of a random access procedure performed by the UE in response to the paging message, an indication of whether the UE will transmit a reply to an early data transmission from the wireless network to the UE.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method is performed by a network node for random access in a wireless network. The network node is suitable for serving a first type of wireless device and a second type of wireless device and transmission/reception capabilities of the first 5 type of wireless device are reduced with respect to transmission/reception capabilities of the second type of wireless device. The method comprises receiving a random access preamble from a wireless device and, based on the received random access preamble, transmitting a random access response to the wireless device according to transmission/reception capabilities common to both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device.

Abstract: A network node is configured for transmitting a mobile-terminated early data transmission during a random-access procedure. The network node transmits a page having a contention-free preamble corresponding to an identity associated with a wireless device to be paged. The identity may be a Serving Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity, S-TMSI, or a resume identity that identifies a suspended Radio Resource Control, RRC, connection. The network node then receives, as part of the random-access procedure, a Msg1 transmission that includes the contention-free preamble. The network node next transmits, as part of the random-access procedure, a Msg2 transmission to the wireless device associated with the identity corresponding to the contention-free preamble. The Msg2 transmission includes a signaling message and downlink data.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments, a method (500) by a wireless device (110) includes receiving information relating to a Narrowband Secondary Synchronization Signal (NSSS) transmit diversity scheme. The information indicates a number of NSSS occasions that use different NSSS transmit diversity configurations. Based on the NSSS transmit diversity scheme, at least one measurement is performed across NSSS occasions.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device includes transmitting, to a base station, a first transmission of a message, which includes user data and information to setup or resume a connection between the wireless device and the base station. DCI comprising an uplink grant indicating a plurality of transport block sizes is received from the base station. The DCI is interpreted based on previous information received in a message from the base station. One of the transport block sizes is selected for retransmission of the message. The message is retransmitted using the selected transport block size and includes either only the information to setup or resume the connection or the information to setup or resume the connection and user data. The message is retransmitted using the selected transport block size.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for Control Resource Set (CORESET) enhancements for initial access. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device comprises receiving and decoding a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission in a CORESET in accordance with at least a portion of a Control Channel Element (CCE) to Resource Element Group (REG) mapping. The PDCCH transmission comprises one or more CCEs. The CCE to REG mapping comprises an interleaved portion that maps the one or more CCEs to a first set of REGs that are spread across a bandwidth of the CORESET, and a second portion that maps at least a portion of an additional CCE to at least a REG in a frequency gap between two REGs in the first set of REGs, the additional CCE corresponding to one of the CCEs mapped to the first set of REGs.

Abstract: A wireless device (130) obtains (601) a configuration of a set of periodic uplink resources specific for the device. The configuration configures the set of resources to support: a) a first procedure comprising a first Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission of a Message A (MsgA) transmission, b) a second procedure comprising uplink transmissions of, or corresponding to, a two-step Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure comprising, a first Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission and a second PUSCH transmission, and/or c) a third procedure comprising uplink transmissions of, or corresponding to, a four-step RACH procedure comprising a second PRACH transmission, and a third PUSCH transmission.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a first wireless device for cell selection. The method comprises evaluating (1302) a cell selection criterion to select a cell for use by the first wireless device, wherein the cell selection criterion provides for a RedCap threshold value and/or a RedCap threshold offset for providing coverage recovery for RedCap wireless devices, wherein a RedCap wireless device is a wireless device that has reduced capability.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node for establishing a connection for data transmission between the network node and the wireless device in a wireless communication network is provided. The network node establishes that the wireless device is fixed. Fixed comprises always being served by the same one or more access points. The network node obtains a Timing Advance (TA) for transmissions between the network node and the wireless device, based on the distance between the network node and the wireless device. The obtaining of the TA is performed without Uplink (UL) transmission. The network node sends an indication to the wireless device, which indication indicates the obtained TA. The network node then establishes a connection for data transmission between the network node and the wireless device based on the sent TA in Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

Abstract: A network node, a wireless device and methods therein, for decoding of contention based uplink transmissions of data in a cell served by the network node. The network node registers the wireless device for contention based uplink transmissions of data on a radio resource reserved for contention based uplink transmissions of data, e.g. when receiving a registration request sent from the wireless device, such that the wireless device is included in a set of wireless devices being registered for contention based uplink transmissions of data on the radio resource in the cell. The network node then performs blind decoding of uplink signals transmitted on the radio resource by considering the wireless devices in the set. In this way, the decoding is made more efficient by disregarding any other wireless devices in the cell which are not registered for contention based uplink transmissions of data on the radio resource in the cell.

Abstract: A method performed by a wireless device. The wireless device sends an indication to a network node including a value corresponding to a size of a buffer of detected or expected to be had during inactive state at a time of one or more transmissions. The sending is performed with the proviso that the size of the buffer is smaller than a threshold. The wireless device receives a grant from the network node based on the indication, and then sends data to the network node during inactive state, according to the grant received. The sending of the data is performed with the proviso that the size of the buffer is smaller than the threshold. The sending of the indication is performed prior to the sending of one or more data packets comprising at least a part of the first data.

Abstract: A system in which a wireless communication device (e.g. a NB-IoT device) can obtain assistance information from a location server which can help the WCD select the right target RAT. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) assistance information; determining a RAT based on the received inter-RAT assistance information; and utilizing the determined RAT.

Abstract: A method (1200) by a wireless device (110) includes transmitting (1202), to a network node (160), a request for a preconfigured uplink resource, PUR, configuration. The wireless device 110 receives the PUR configuration from the network node, and the PUR configuration comprising time and/or frequency resources for transmitting on an uplink. The wireless device determines a PUR start time based on a value associated with a hyper system frame number (HSFN), a HSFN cycle, and/or a subframe number. The PUR start time measured relative to a time associated with the PUR configuration.

Abstract: A communication system for enabling/disabling EDT comprises UEs and a network node. The network node is configured to collect measurements regarding cell information, determine whether EDT is allowed to be used by the UEs to transmit data prior to completing an access procedure, and send a message comprising an EDT indication instructing whether EDT is allowed to be used by the UEs. The UE is configured to initiate a transmission to the network node, receive the message comprising the EDT indication, and determine whether EDT is allowed to be used based on the EDT indication. The communication system may be able to enable or disable EDT for the UE based the status of cell, such that the communication system may avoid a resource waste caused by an early indication in Msg1 or a larger uplink grant in Msg2, and further improve the network performance.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node, for controlling access of a first User Equipment (UE) and a second UE to a cell in a radio communications network is provided. The first UE is of a low complexity type, and wherein the second UE is of a regular type. A first association is assigned to the first UE. The first association associates the first UE with its low complexity type. A second association is assigned to the second UE. The second association associates the second UE with its regular type. The network node controls (302) access of the first UE and second UE by sending a rule to the first UE and second UE. The rule is related to access control that is different for UEs with different associations, for accessing to the radio communications network.

Abstract: According to embodiments described herein there is provided a wireless terminal device and a network node in a communications network. The wireless terminal device being operable in a plurality of modes comprising a first mode, in which the wireless terminal device is able to receive paging messages from the wireless communications network, and a second mode in which the wireless terminal device is unable to receive paging messages from the wireless communications network. The method in the wireless device comprising receiving a signal from a network node operable in the wireless communications network, wherein the signal comprises information related to the paging occasions; and responsive to a determination to that signal, operating in at least the second mode.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for synchronizing one or more radio devices with a radio access node. A method of providing synchronization with a radio access node for radio communication to one or more radio devices is disclosed. The method comprises or triggers transmitting a configuration message to at least one of the radio devices, where the configuration message is indicative of a synchronization signal configuration for a configurable synchronization signal. The method further comprises or triggers transmitting the configurable synchronization signal to the at least one radio device in accordance with the synchronization signal configuration and communicating one or more decodable signals between the radio access node and the at least one radio device using radio resources in accordance with the configurable synchronization signal. A corresponding method of synchronizing the radio device with the radio access node for radio communication is disclosed.