Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and apparatuses are provided for support of Low Latency, Low Loss and Scalable Throughput (LS4) for non-Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access networks. In a multi-access (MA) protocol data unit (PDU) session, traffic is redistributed by a user equipment (UE) between access networks based on Access Traffic Steering, Switching, Splitting (ATSSS) rules and/or Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN). A user plane function (UPF) may update ECN information in PDUs of uplink traffic based on congestion information for LAS provided by an access network. A UPF redistributes traffic between access networks based on congestion information received via one or more access networks, and the ECN information transmitted in the PDUs may be updated accordingly.

Abstract: A technique, comprising: receiving at a node of a radio access network of a mobile communication system one or more control plane messages indicating a plurality of quality-of-service profiles for a quality-of-service flow for a logical connection between a user equipment and a data network via the radio access network; receiving user plane messages for the quality-of-service flow at the radio access network node, wherein an individual user plane message comprises a header comprising at least a first field; determining at the radio access network node one of the plurality of quality-of-service profiles to adopt for the quality-of-service flow based on the first field and an indication in the one or more control plane messages of a mapping of the plurality of quality-of service profiles to a plurality of values for the first field.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for removal of a header extension to mitigate packet fragmentation. In the context of an application function, based on determining a protocol description indicating protocol data unit (PDU) set information related to extended reality data, transmission of a handling request for the PDU set that comprises at least a request for removal of a header extension related to the PDU set is caused. Additionally, based on an indication that the header extension is removable by a user plane function of a core network, transmission of at least one PDU of the PDU set comprising the header extension is caused. Corresponding method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage mediums are also provided for a core network, a user plane function, and a user equipment.

Abstract: According to a first embodiment, a method may include receiving at least one time sensitive communications (TSC) request from at least one application function (AF). The method may further include determining at least one hold and forward (HnF) parameter based on the at least one TSC request. The method may further include transmitting the at least one HnF parameter to at least one user equipment (UE).

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for initiating or providing application specific protocol data unit (PDU) sessions are provided. One method may include receiving, from an application server or application function having a co-located or integrated micro-user plane function (UPF), a request to use the micro-user plane function (UPF) for an application. The method may include, based on information included in the request, determining an application specific data network name (AS-DNN) and provisioning a session management node with the micro-user plane function (UPF) information associated with the application specific data network name (AS-DNN).

Abstract: A method at a first data collection coordination functional entity for coordinating, in a first area, a data and/or analytics collection related to at least one mobile terminal, the method comprising: determining, based on an obtained mobile terminal mobility event notification, that the at least one mobile terminal is no longer in the first area and/or no longer in a second area served by a first messaging framework adaptor functional entity; based thereon, identifying at least one of a second data collection coordination functional entity coordinating a data and/or analytics collection in a third area in which the at least one mobile terminal resides if it does not reside in the first area and a second messaging framework adaptor functional entity serving a fourth area in which the at least one mobile terminal resides if it does not reside in the second area; and based thereon, initiating a transfer or a setup of at least one of a respective data collection coordination functional entity context associated

Abstract: A trusted rating function in a communication network system obtains at least one verification information associated with at least one of an analytics function identifier, a service identifier and a service consumer identifier, receives, from a service consumer, rating information related to at least one rated service and consumer verification information associated with the service consumer, accepts the rating information based on a comparison between the obtained verification information and the consumer verification information, and updates a rating stored for the rated service based on the rating information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for reliability network slicing.

Abstract: For example, within a communication network environment a possibility for retrieval of historical data indicative of events occurring within the communication network environment and obtained from one or more data sources within the communication network environment is provided. Selection criteria is specified at a first device to be applied to the historical data for a query to be performed on the historical data kept in a historical data repository associated with a second device. At least one processing instruction is specified at the first device. The processing instruction determines the generation of a report based on the defined query. The selection criteria and the processing instruction is transmitted to the second device, and the report generated at the second device based on the transmitted selection criteria and processing instruction is received.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising, receiving, by an intermediary network function, a subscription request from a network function consumer requesting data of a network function producer, wherein the subscription request comprises a client credential assertion of the network function consumer and an access token, authorizing and authenticating, by the intermediary network function, the network function consumer upon successful validation of the access token and the client credential assertion validation and transmitting, by the intermediary network function, an access token request to an authorization server to get another access token, wherein said another access token is to be used to validate the network function consumer to access services of the network function producer, and the access token request comprises the client credential assertion of the network function consumer requesting data of the network function producer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, a device and a computer readable medium for IPv6 address management in an IAB system. The method comprises obtaining an IPv6 prefix for an IAB node in the IAB system, the prefix being associated with the donor central unit or a donor distributed unit in the IAB system; determining an interface identity for the IAB node; and generating, based on the Internet Protocol Version 6, IPv6, prefix and the interface identity, an IPv6 address for the IAB node for communication between the donor central unit and the IAB node. As a result, IPv6 address management for an IAB node in an IAB system is implemented.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for coordinating actions, such as handovers. In some example embodiment, there may be provided a method to control an action at a group including a first user equipment being served by a first base station and a second user equipment being served by a second base station, each of the first user equipment and the second user equipment configured with a protocol data unit session to carry redundant time sensitive streams, wherein the control includes providing a token to enable at a time the action at a single one of the first user equipment or the second user equipment.

Abstract: A technique comprising: detecting, at a user plane function of a system operating according to a first protocol, a message regarding use of resources and/or services of the system for a service according to a second protocol; and directing the message from the user plane function to a control plane function operating as a control plane translator between the first and second protocols.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for handover optimization using time sensitive communication assistance information. The method may include, receiving, from a network element, a handover request message or a context message. At least one of the handover request message or the context message may include time sensitive communication assistance information. The method may also include at least one of performing an admission control procedure based on the time sensitive communication assistance information, and scheduling data transmission with a user equipment based on the time sensitive communication assistance information.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for receiving, at a first network function from a second network function, a subscription request for notification of at least one event, wherein the subscription request comprises at least one condition to trigger notification of the at least one event, and providing a notification of the at least one event to the second network function according to the at least one condition.

Abstract: Techniques for user consent in a communication network are disclosed. For example, a method comprises receiving, at a network entity of a communication network, a first level user consent for a first level data type for a first level purpose. The method further comprises applying, at the network entity, at least one hierarchical consent policy to the first level user consent to determine whether the first level user consent implies a second level user consent for a second level data type for a second level purpose.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for network data analytics profiling for a user equipment (UE) are provided. One method may include obtaining data related to a UE and generating analytics for the UE based on the obtained data, generating a UE analytics profile for the UE using at least one of the obtained data and/or the analytics generated for the UE, and storing the UE analytics profile in a repository. The method may also include receiving, from a network node in the visited network, a request to retrieve the UE analytics profile for the visited network. The method may then include generating the visited network UE analytics profile, and providing the visited network UE analytics profile to the network node in the visited network.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a traffic ingress entity of a communication network, one or more packets of a traffic flow. The method may also include assigning a classification, by the data reception entity, to each packet of the one or more packets of the traffic flow according to one or more protocol data unit sets to which the packet belongs to. The method may further include mapping the one or more packets of the traffic flow to one or more quality of service flows for quality of service handling of the one or more packets based on the classification assigned to each packet. In addition, the method may include outputting the classification assigned to each packet to a network element for enabling quality of service handling of the one or more packets based on the mapping and one or more quality of service information.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for quality of service (QoS) policy determination for packet handling of a traffic flow for extended reality (XR) applications. A method may include receiving a quality of service policy and classification information of one or more packets of a quality of service flow. The method may also include using a quality of service policy for handling the one or more packets of the quality of service flow based on the classification information to determine quality of service information. The method may further include sending the quality of service information to one or more network elements or user equipment for performing a per-packet adjustment of a quality of service parameter based on the quality of service information.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for receiving, at a first network function from a second network function, a subscription request for notification of at least one event, wherein the subscription request comprises at least one condition to trigger notification of the at least one event, and providing a notification of the at least one event to the second network function accoriding to the at least one condition.