Abstract: It is provided a method, comprising querying a network repository function to provide a respective identifier of each of one or more network functions; selecting a selected identifier of the one or more identifiers received in response to the querying; requesting a service from the network function identified by the selected identifier, wherein each of the network functions provides the service and fulfills a condition; the condition comprises at least one of a distance condition related to a distance between the respective network function and a reference point, a performance condition related to a performance of the respective network function, a capacity condition related to a capacity of the respective network function, an operational state condition related to an operational state of the respective network function, and a reliability condition related to a reliability of the respective network function.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for providing, from a first function instance of a set of first function instances to a second function, first information comprising an indication that a protocol session between the first function and the second function is controllable by different instances of the set of first function instances and receiving, at one of the set of first function instances from the second function, a protocol session related message based on the first information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for services, such as SMS, location services, and/or the like over the NAS through a non-cellular access. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes receiving, via a non-access stratum connection through a wireless local area network, a notification message; sending a service request message to request, via the non-access stratum connection through the wireless local area network, delivery of downlink data for a service; and receiving, via the non-access stratum connection through the wireless local area network, the downlink data for the service. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

Abstract: In some example embodiment, there may be provided an apparatus configured to at least: receive information including survival time and/or traffic pattern information indicative of deterministic traffic; determine, based on the received information, a packet handling type indicative of whether the deterministic traffic is to be carried in a selective packet duplication mode or an alternative packet transmission mode over at least two links; and perform, based on at least on the survival time, the indicated packet handling type to enable the deterministic traffic to be carried over the at least two links in the selective packet duplication mode or the alternative packet transmission mode.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing IMS level awareness of high latency device are provided. One method, when a UE attaches to EPC, receiving, at a network node, an indication that the UE is a high latency device. The method may also include assigning, to the UE, an IP address selected from a special IP address range that is designated specifically for high latency devices. When the UE performs IMS registration, the method may include determining that the UE is a high latency UE based on the UE's IP address provided with the IMS registration request and assigned during the EPC attach procedure.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments, a method and apparatus may include performing, by a first network entity, at least one benchmarking procedure of at least one network hop delay per at least one transmit resource towards at least one peer network node identified by at least one internet protocol destination address. The method and apparatus may further include deriving, by the first network entity, a second table, by, for each peer node associated with an internet protocol destination address, determining at least one existing configured mapping of at least one network instance into a transport resource Ti per internet protocol destination address. The method and apparatus may further include updating, by the first network entity, the first table and the second table for each internet protocol destination address and transmitting the updated second table to the second network entity.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided herein to provide service continuity between a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) and a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). For example, a method is provided that comprises after determining that the user equipment (UE) with the first protocol data unit (PDU) session established in the first SNPN is or will be leaving the coverage area of the first SNPN, causing a request message to be transmitted to the UE, wherein the request message comprises a request to initiate a second PDU session establishment procedure towards a PLMN. The method also includes causing the UE to establish the second PDU session with an internet protocol anchor function of a user plane function in the PLMN via the first SNPN radio access network (RAN) or via the PLMN RAN, wherein the second PDU session is established prior to release of the first PDU session.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for a 3GPP bridge for time sensitive networks. In some example embodiment, there may be provided an apparatus causes to at least: receive at least one management object, the at least one management object comprising routing information between an ingress port at a 3GPP bridge and an egress port at the 3 GPP bridge; determine, for the ingress port and the egress port combination, at least one quality of service constraint to provide a delay guarantee towards a destination media access control address, the determination based on the received at least one management object and one or more bridge delays indicating a delay between the ingress port and the egress port; and cause a change, based on the determined at least one quality of service constraint, to a protocol data unit session carrying a time sensitive network flow.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from an improved signaling protocol. For example, machine-to-machine communications in a network may benefit from improved signaling and security. A method includes establishing a secure data transmission path for an application. The secure data transmission path is used to transmit data between a user equipment and a network element. The network entity includes a gateway or an application server. The method also includes transmitting data for the application over the secure data transmission path using a pre-configured radio bearer. The radio bearer is pre-configured for data transmission between the user equipment and an access node located between the user equipment and the network element. In addition, the method includes receiving a response message at the user equipment from the network element through the secure data transmission path.

Abstract: In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes receiving, at a user equipment while being served by a first system and during protocol data unit session establishment or modification procedure, a message including an access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value; and when there is an inter-system change from the first system to the second system, setting, at the user equipment, the access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value of a session management context for the second system to the received access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value received while being served by the first system. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

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: identify a plurality of allowed network slices of a terminal; and select at least one network slice among the plurality of allowed network slices of the terminal to be used for at least one signalling connection.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from appropriate restriction on use. For example, certain wireless communication systems may benefit from radio-access-technology-specific access restrictions. A method can include registering a user equipment with a network element. The registering can include identifying user equipment capabilities. The method can also include receiving a response from the network element indicating restriction on use of at least one radio access technology.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided herein to receive, from a source, performance requirements, and cause transmission, to a network, of a request to influence time sensitive communications (TSC) configuration parameters. For example, a method is provided to in response to the request to influence TSC configuration, receive, from the network, network configuration and radio access network (RAN) resource constraints and determine a quality of service (QoS) and the TSC configuration parameters to support a TSC data stream based on the performance requirements received from the source, the network configuration, and the RAN resource constraints. The method is further configured to cause transmission of the determined QoS and the TSC configuration parameters to the network and the source and in an instance the network accepts the determined QoS and the TSC configuration parameters, configure resources for the TSC data stream and continuously support service continuity.

Abstract: A determination is made that a registration attempt by a UE with a cell of a wireless network has failed when the UE is in a current tracking area. The UE updates a first list with indications(s) corresponding to the cell and an indication of the current tracking area, and the UE uses the first list for additional registration attempts. A network node sends, toward the UE, a request for the UE to store information, the storing to be in response to registration attempts by the UE with cells of the wireless network having failed while in corresponding tracking areas. The information is to include indication(s) corresponding to the cells and corresponding indication(s) of the tracking areas for the cells. The network node receives, in response to a successful secure connection having been performed between the wireless network and the UE, the information from the user equipment.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for V2X server discovery. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method. The method may include receiving, by a user equipment, an indication of an identity of a local server configured to provide, in the serving public land mobile network, information regarding a vehicle-based service, when the user equipment enters a region of the serving public land mobile network; and discovering, by the user equipment, the local server based on the received indication of the identity. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to perform receiving from a network device, by a network node of a communication network, information regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing the secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, wherein information comprises an indication of at least one of the packet data unit session pair, a required quality of service or a required redundancy level for the secondary packet data unit session; based on the information, establishing the secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishing, sending towards the network device an indication of the secondary packet data unit session being established; storing the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding at least part of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target node during mobility procedure.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed for implementing recovery from a communication failure. A method includes receiving, by a first user equipment, an indication that a second user equipment has experienced a failure, where the first user equipment and the second user equipment are part of a same device, and where the first user equipment is configured with a first primary reliability group and where the second user equipment is configured with a second primary reliability group; based upon the indication, the first user equipment transmitting to a network equipment a first signal to activate a secondary reliability group for the first user equipment; and receiving, by the first user equipment, a second signal to use the secondary reliability group, where the second signal is at least partially based upon the first signal transmitted from the first user equipment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may include providing a multi-dimensional descriptor to a network function. The method may also include accessing a network slice. The network slice is selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor. The method may also include accessing a component of the network slice. One or more network functions of the network slice are selected based on the multi-dimensional descriptor.

Abstract: In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes receiving, at a user equipment while being served by a first system and during protocol data unit session establishment or modification procedure, a message including an access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value; and when there is an inter-system change from the first system to the second system, setting, at the user equipment, the access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value of a session management context for the second system to the received access point name aggregate maximum bit rate value received while being served by the first system. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: comprising at least a first SIM associated with a first network and a second SIM associated with the first or a second network, wherein the first SIM is configured to operate in an idle or an inactive mode of a RRC while the second SIM configured to temporarily operate in a connected mode of the RRC and vice versa; means for allocating a radio transceiver of the apparatus for a communication of the first SIM and the second SIM for alternative active periods, wherein the first SIM is configured to at least monitor paging messages during its active periods and the second SIM is configured to at least perform beam management operations during its active periods; means for monitoring a number of scheduled beam management operations of the second SIM skipped during the active periods of the radio transceiver allocated for the first SIM; means for determining, based on at least data from the performed beam management operations, a threshold value for the skipped beam management operations;