Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a user equipment, a handover command from a source network entity. The method may further include, based on the received handover command, monitoring, by the user equipment, at least one dedicated downlink transmission from a target network entity prior to transmitting any uplink signal to the target network entity.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described that support operational mode configurations for switching between serving cells. A serving cell may configure a plurality of cells to support the operational mode configuration. Each cell of the plurality of cells and an associated user equipment may store the operational mode configurations associated with the plurality of cells to improve additional switching between serving cells. A user equipment may provide intracell or intercell beam management reporting associated with the plurality of cells to assist a determination for switching between serving cells. Timing advance information may be stored to support switching back to a serving cell. A serving cell may cause switching to another serving cell for a user equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product for: initiating a handover process for moving the communication session from a first access node to a second access node, interrupting the handover process in response to determining that at least one operation is to be performed by a transceiver, causing the transceiver to perform the at least one operation using the communication session with the first access node, and resuming the handover process in response to determining that the at least one operation is completed.

Abstract: According to an example embodiment, a method may include transmitting, to at least one integrated access backhaul (IAB) (e.g., relay) node within a wireless network, link capacity threshold information, wherein the at least one IAB node is requested to perform threshold-based reporting of updated link capacity based on the link capacity threshold information; and receiving, from a first IAB node of the at least one IAB node, an updated link capacity report that was triggered (e.g., caused to be generated and/or transmitted) at the IAB node based on a change of available link capacity of the IAB node with respect to the capacity threshold information, the updated link capacity report indicating updated available link capacity of at least one a child backhaul link or at least one access link of the first IAB node.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a user equipment, a handover command from a source network entity. The method may further include, based on the received handover command, monitoring, by the user equipment, at least one dedicated downlink transmission from a target network entity prior to transmitting any uplink signal to the target network entity.

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: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for rerouting data packets in multi-hop millimeterwave (mmWave) networks, such as in 5G or NR.

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: 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 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 the UL resources from RACH-less procedure.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: allocate a physical uplink channel between at least one integrated access and backhaul node user equipment function and a parent distributed unit; and send at least one message via the physical uplink channel, wherein the at least one message includes at least: a destination queue depth scheduled on a downlink by at least one integrated access and backhaul node distributed unit.

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: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: allocate a physical uplink channel between at least one integrated access and backhaul node user equipment function and a parent distributed unit; and send at least one message via the physical uplink channel, wherein the at least one message includes at least: a destination queue depth scheduled on a downlink by at least one integrated access and backhaul node distributed unit.

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: A method and apparatus may determine a plurality of access points. The plurality of access points belong to a cluster set of a user device. The method may also include allocating a plurality of uplink access channels to the plurality of access points. The plurality of uplink access channels may include uplink polling channels. The plurality of uplink access channels are allocated such that the plurality of access channels are staggered in time within a frame structure used by the plurality of access points and the user device.

Abstract: A method including transmitting an uplink access request message by a user device (UD) for an access point (AP) in an access point cluster set of the UD; and monitoring a downlink control channel by the user device (UD) to determine, based at least partially upon the transmitted uplink access request message, if a subsequent uplink communication is to be transmitted by the user device (UD) to a serving access point and/or a stand-by access point of the access point cluster set.

Abstract: An example technique may include determining, by a user device, downlink control channel timing information for each of a plurality of access points including for a serving access point that serves the user device and one or more standby access points; sending, by the user device to a cluster set manager via the serving access point, the downlink control channel timing information for each of the plurality of access points; receiving, by the user device from the cluster set manager via the serving access point, downlink control channel allocations including information identifying a downlink control channel allocated to the user device for each of a plurality of the access points; and receiving, by the user device, information from at least one of a plurality of the access points via a downlink control channel allocated to the user device for the at least one of the plurality of access points.

Abstract: An example technique may include measuring a wireless link between a user device and an access point to obtain a first set of measurement values, detecting that the wireless link is temporarily blocked during the measuring, modifying, based on the wireless link being temporarily blocked, the first set of measurement values to obtain a second set of measurement values, and sending, to a network device, a report indicating the second set of measurement values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may determine a plurality of access points. The plurality of access points belong to a cluster set of a user device. The method may also include allocating a plurality of random-access-channel slots to the plurality of access points such that the plurality of random-access-channel slots are staggered in time over a random-access-channel period within a frame structure used by the user device.

Abstract: An example technique may include measuring a wireless link between a user device and an access point to obtain a first set of measurement values, detecting that the wireless link is temporarily blocked during the measuring, modifying, based on the wireless link being temporarily blocked, the first set of measurement values to obtain a second set of measurement values, and sending, to a network device, a report indicating the second set of measurement values.