Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for device-to-device (D2D) assisted 5G timing synchronization by enabling or disabling time compensation are provided. One method may include determining to initiate a procedure to determine whether to enable or disable propagation delay (PD) compensation for acquiring 5G system (5GS) timing with a sidelink (SL) group of user equipment. When it is determined to initiate the procedure, the method may include transmitting propagation delay (PD) information of the user equipment as a sidelink (SL) groupcast message over a sidelink (SL) control channel to at least one of the group of user equipment, receiving at least one of acknowledgement or nonacknowledgement from one or more of the group of user equipment, and determining whether to enable or disable the propagation delay (PD) compensation based on the received acknowledgement or nonacknowledgement from the group of user equipment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for 5G support for time sensitive communication. One method may include sending a report of user equipment capabilities to a communication network. The method may also include receiving a propagation delay compensation configuration from a network node. The method may further include configuring a communication with the network node based on the propagation delay compensation configuration. Further, the propagation delay compensation configuration may take into consideration at least one of propagation delay compensation information from an application function or the report.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for identifying devices or endpoints connected via a 5GS, in order to provide a desired quality of service (QoS), are described.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising means for receiving, at a network function from a requester of path selection information in a communications network, a request for path selection information between a first network entity and a second network entity in the communications network, determining a path between a first network entity and a second network entity and providing an indication to the requester of path selection information of the determined path.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for working clock determination for a mobile user equipment. A method may include receiving time domain information at a session management function during a protocol data unit (PDU) session procedure. The method may also include forwarding the time domain information to a user plane function for the PDU session procedure. The method may further include configuring the user plane function according to the time domain information to enable determination of a correct mapping between the time domain information and a user equipment or a PDU session.

Abstract: Various communication systems may implement network management tools to help manage registration requests from a user equipment. For example, network functions in a communication system with a shared data layer may be used to manage requests from the user equipment. A method may include transmitting a request from a user equipment to a network function. The method may also include receiving at the user equipment a temporary identification from the network function The temporary identification comprises an identifier that helps locate a shared data layer function that stores context information for the user equipment. In addition, the method may include transmitting from the user equipment a subsequent request comprising the temporary identification to another network function or the network function.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, method and computer program fora network function, that causes the apparatus to signal, to a replication handling function, a set of replication criteria defining, for one or more session associated with a first user traffic and a second user traffic, when at least one of the first and second user traffic will be transmitted using a replication-based redundancy mechanism, wherein each of the first and second user traffic are associated with a respective quality of service requirement for transmission.

Abstract: There is provided a method for an apparatus for a network function, the apparatus for the network function, and a computer program for the apparatus, that causes the apparatus to: receive an indication that a first user equipment and/or a first user plane function configured to transmit first user traffic is associated with a first replication handling function, the first replication handling function being configurable to coordinate at least one replication-based redundancy mechanism performed on at least part of said first user traffic; determine a first set of replication rules for use by the first replication handling function determining when the at least one replication-based redundancy mechanism is performed on at least part of said first user traffic; and cause the first set of replication rules to be provided to the first replication handling function.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for access traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS) with branching point (BP) on the path are provided. The method may include determining that an existing user plane function is sub-optimal in terms of routing and latency incurred with respect to traffic for a given packet data unit session of a user equipment. The method may also include establishing, based on the determination, a new user plane function for the packet data unit session. The method may further include establishing a branching point user plane function that interfaces with the existing user plane function, the new user plane function, and a plurality of network access types. In addition, the method may include updating the user equipment by providing the user equipment with relevant multi-access traffic steering rules.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for access traffic steering, switching, and splitting (ATSSS) with branching point (BP) or uplink classifier (ULCL) on the path. The method may include, setting up, in response to a request, a first user plane function with multi-access traffic steering functionality. The method may also include requesting a user equipment to establish a new multi-access packet data unit session to a same data network name and slice as an old multi-access packet data unit session, or request the user equipment to release the old multi-access packet data unit session with a second user plane function and to initiate a multi-access packet data unit session re-establishment. The method may further include sending, to the user equipment, multi-access rules for the new multi-access packet data unit session, a new internet protocol address, and new multipath transmission control protocol proxy information.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for efficiently activating or deactivating user equipment. An example method includes receiving a deactivation request comprising one or more identifiers for one or more user equipment or one or more user equipment groups, determining which one or more user equipment or user equipment groups are impacted by the deactivation request and causing a suspend request to be transmitted to the one or more user equipment or user equipment groups that are impacted. Another example method is provided for receiving an activation request comprising one or more identifiers for one or more user equipment or one or more user equipment groups, determining which one or more user equipment or user equipment groups are impacted by the activation request, and causing a notice to be transmitted to the one or more user equipment or user equipment groups that are impacted.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from suitable interworking. For example, certain fifth generation short message service systems may benefit from interworking with long term evolution short message service deployments in a visited public land mobile network. A method can include receiving, at a network element, an attach request from a user equipment. The method can also include using an internal policy to find a short message service function that resides at the network element. The method can further include using an address of the short message service function for providing short message service to the user equipment.

Abstract: Methods of providing service continuity with respect to a service of a first network for a user equipment and a service of a second network for the user equipment, as well as a user equipment and networks being adapted to be operated according to the methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes aligning a plurality of paging occasions across at least two identities of a communication device; and requesting and receiving from a communication network a paging occasion for the communication device with at least two identities using at least one of the identities to perform the aligning; or requesting and receiving from the communication network a reallocation of a paging offset using at least one of the identities to perform the aligning.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from appropriate handling of messages. For example, certain fifth generation communication systems may benefit from short message service over non-access stratum with a home-routed model. A method can include receiving a request, at a short message service function, to associate an access management function to the short message service function. The method can also include accepting the request.

Abstract: Various communication systems may implement network management tools to help manage registration requests from a user equipment. For example, network functions in a communication system with a shared data layer may be used to manage requests from the user equipment. A method may include transmitting a request from a user equipment to a network function. The method may also include receiving at the user equipment a temporary identification from the network function The temporary identification comprises an identifier that helps locate a shared data layer function that stores context information for the user equipment. In addition, the method may include transmitting from the user equipment a subsequent request comprising the temporary identification to another network function or the network function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may include receiving, by a radio access network (RAN), at least one burst arrival time (BAT) parameter from at least one session management function (SMF). The method may further include determining, by the RAN, if at least one actual BAT is offset from the at least one received BAT parameter by at least one threshold. The method may further include setting, by the RAN, at least one BAT correction parameter based upon at least one offset time. The method may further include calculating, by the RAN, at least one new BAT parameter according to the one BAT correction parameter. The method may further include adjusting, by the RAN, at least one burst schedule based upon one or more of the at least one BAT correction parameter or the at least one new BAT parameter.

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: determine that an onboarding standalone non private network and/or service provider hosting the apparatus does not own subscription data for a terminal, in response to the terminal performing an initial access to the onboarding standalone non private network and/or service provider; obtain subscription data for the terminal owned by another standalone non private network and/or service provider from a central provisioning server; and provide subscription data to the terminal.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for receiving, at a first network function, a request for a time synchronization service for a user equipment, the request comprising one of an indicator of a synchronization level and at least one synchronization parameter, if the at least one synchronization parameter is comprised in the request, determining, based on the at least one synchronization parameter, the indicator of the synchronization level, determining, based on at least one of the indicator of the synchronization level or the at least one synchronization parameter, at least one of synchronization policy and synchronization profile and providing the determined at least one of the indicator of the synchronization level, the synchronization policy and the synchronization profile to at least one of a further network function and the user equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus in a communications device supporting a plurality of different identities, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine at least one paging overlap occasion for networks associated with the different identities; communicate the at least one paging overlap occasion determination to one of the networks associated with one of the different identities within a registration request to the one of the networks, wherein the one of the networks is caused to schedule at least one paging message to the apparatus based on the at least one paging overlap occasion determination such that the at least one paging message is scheduled at a time other than the at least one paging overlap occasion determination; and control a reception of the at least one paging message for the one of the networks such that the appara