Abstract: A UE operates in a system where a source UE communicates using SL communications with a destination UE and detects a SL coverage issue with the sidelink communications between the source and destination UEs. The UE sends, to at least the destination UE, an announcement concerning at least one of the sidelink coverage issue or the UE being available as a relay UE candidate for an indirect path to the destination UE. The destination UE receives the announcement and communicates with the UE to set up and use the indirect path.

Abstract: In an example embodiments, sending, by a remote user equipment (UE) of a source cell, towards a network node of the source cell a measurement report including a candidate relay (CR) list, wherein the CR list includes at least a cell identification for at least one CR UE for an indirect path switching from the source cell to a target cell associated with a CR UE; detecting a change of a serving cell or camping cell of the CR UE from the target cell to another cell based on receiving from the CR UE at least one message that indicates at least one cell identification for the CR UE is different than reported; and based on the detecting, sending an updated measurement report towards the network node triggering renewing a path switch decision or initiating a radio resource control connection re-establishment procedure with the source cell or the target cell.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an apparatus comprising: means for receiving (800) sidelink control information sent from a relay user equipment; and means for performing (802) flow control for ingress data sent from the apparatus to the relay user equipment to be relayed to a destination user equipment paired with the apparatus based on the sidelink control information sent from the relay user equipment.

Abstract: There is provided a method, comprising: obtaining, by a user equipment in a first cell, information of at least one candidate relay device, the information including at least a first cell identifier associated with the at least one candidate relay device; transmitting the information to a radio access node of the first cell; receiving, from the radio access node, a path switching command comprising an indication of a relay device among the at least one candidate relay device and a second cell identifier; transmitting, to the relay device, a request to act as a relay for the user equipment, the request comprising an indication of the second cell identifier associated with the path switching command.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for determining random access channel (RACH) resources or parameters based on network slice-based resource allocation classes (RACs) may be provided. A mapping between network slices and a set of RACs may be determined by a core network (CN). The CN may send this mapping to the UE. The UE may select RACH resources or parameters for a network slice. The radio access network (RAN) may determine a mapping between the RACs and the RACH resources or parameters. The UE may determine the corresponding RACH resources or parameters to be used for a RAC.

Abstract: Examples of the disclosure relate to an apparatus configured to enable priority configurations to be updated. The apparatus can be configured to perform receiving information indicative of at least one validity area for the apparatus wherein the at least one validity area comprises includes an area in which priority configurations assigned to the apparatus are valid; detecting that the apparatus has moved out of the at least one validity area; in response to detecting that the apparatus has moved out of the at least one validity area performing at least one of: receiving at least one new priority configuration and following the at least one new priority configuration, or triggering a state change to a connected mode to obtain at least one new priority configuration from an access node.

Abstract: An apparatus may be configured to: connect to a first base station with one of: a direct connection, or an indirect connection via a first relay user equipment; determine at least one second relay user equipment for receiving a reconfiguration message for path switching to a second base station; establish a sidelink connection with the at least one second relay user equipment; and receive, via the sidelink connection from the at least one second relay user equipment, the reconfiguration message for the path switching to the second base station. An apparatus may be configured to: receive, from a second base station, a reconfiguration message, wherein the received reconfiguration message comprises a reconfiguration message for a remote user equipment; establish a sidelink connection with the remote user equipment; and forward, to the remote user equipment, the reconfiguration message for the remote user equipment.

Abstract: A UE receives, in a paging message, information corresponding to random-access priority. The UE applies, in response to a random access being triggered, the random-access priority according to the information received in the paging message. A network node in a wireless system generates information corresponding to random-access priority for a UE to use for a random-access procedure. The network node sends, in a paging message, information corresponding to the random-access priority toward the user equipment.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided to facilitate relay discovery, selection, and/or reselection for U2N relaying over SL utilizing a service-continuity indication provided via one or more solicitation messages from a remote UE to at least one relay UE. In some embodiments, a serving network may provide identification of the at least one relay UE via a remote configuration for the remote UE. In some embodiments, the serving network may provide identification of the at least one relay UE via a response message transmitted to the remote UE via SL. In some embodiments, the remote UE may prioritize one or more potential relay UE candidates identified by the serving network.

Abstract: Techniques for performing sidelink discovery with user equipment (UE) to UE relay are provided. An initiating UE initiates a sidelink discovery solicitation message toward relay UEs and responding UEs. A relay UE can facilitate the discovery between two or more UEs by monitoring for sidelink discovery solicitation messages and sidelink discovery solicitation responses. A responding UE in receipt of a sidelink solicitation message responds toward a relay UE and/or initiating UE via communication method that may depend on various factors. The communication method may include non-unicast communication, such as broadcast or multicast, to reduce signaling overhead in comparison to unicast communication methods.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a user device from a network node of a wireless network, a cell reselection-related information associated with at least one of a network slice or a closed access group used by the user device; and performing, by the user device, a cell reselection based, at least in part, on the cell reselection-related information.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an apparatus comprising: means for determining (600) that a condition indicating that at least one first user equipment needs a sidelink communication with a second user equipment is met; and means for determining (602) to use a first discovery model including broadcasting a discovery announcement to the at least one first user equipment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for remote user equipment direct to indirect path switching in sidelink relay are provided. For example, a method can include receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a system information block message having an information element to configure monitoring of paging messages at a common paging occasion, which can be configured for user equipment that are in idle or inactive state and that are configured to act as a user-equipment-to-network relay user equipment. The method may also include monitoring a page at the common paging occasion based on the information element. The method may further include sending a random access preamble dedicated to the user equipment in response to the page. The method may additionally include performing a state transition to connected mode only after a response to the random access preamble is received.

Abstract: A method comprising: determining, by a user equipment, that a non-closed access group cell is available to the user equipment in a public land mobile network, wherein the public land mobile network is identified by a public land mobile network identity and the user equipment is only allowed to access the public land mobile network via one or more closed access group cells; displaying the public land mobile network identity to a user; receiving user input selecting the public land mobile network identity; and transmitting a registration request to the public land mobile network identified by the public land mobile network identity.

Abstract: There is disclosed methods, apparatuses and computer program products for management of sidelink based relaying. In accordance with an embodiment, the method comprises obtaining information of sidelink resource pools related to sidelink communication in a wireless communication network; determining one or more prioritized resource pools from the obtained information of sidelink resource pools; obtaining information of candidate relay user equipments for sidelink communication from the determined one or more prioritized resource pools; prioritizing for reporting at least one candidate relay user equipment among the candidate relay user equipments based on the determined one or more prioritized resource pools; and reporting the prioritized at least one candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method comprising: determining, by a user equipment, that a non-closed access group cell is available to the user equipment in a public land mobile network, wherein the public land mobile network is identified by a public land mobile network identity and the user equipment is only allowed to access the public land mobile network via one or more closed access group cells; displaying the public land mobile network identity to a user; receiving user input selecting the public land mobile network identity; and transmitting a registration request to the public land mobile network identified by the public land mobile network identity.

Abstract: A plurality of interworking functions, which provide inter-working between a communication network acting as an access network and a non-public network, is associated with a plurality of sites or network slices hosted by the non-public network (S201). A user equipment is configured Process 1 to select an interworking function of the plurality of interworking functions based on information on a site or network slice the user equipment is associated with, of the plurality of sites or network slices (S203).

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for determining random access channel (RACH) resources or parameters based on network slice-based resource allocation classes (RACs) may be provided. A mapping between network slices and a set of RACs may be determined by a core network (CN). The CN may send this mapping to the UE. The UE may select RACH resources or parameters for a network slice. The radio access network (RAN) may determine a mapping between the RACs and the RACH resources or parameters. The UE may determine the corresponding RACH resources or parameters to be used for a RAC.

Abstract: There are provided measures for assisted distributed gateway selection. Such measures exemplarily comprise (as control plane network entity functionality in a mobile network scenario where an access of a terminal to a network is movable between at least two base stations and routable in parallel via at least one local gateway and a centralized gateway) detecting movement of said access of said terminal from a first base station to a second base station, determining that a first network route which is a current network route from said terminal via a first local gateway which is a current local gateway of said at least one local gateway provides less network performance than a second network route from said terminal via a second local gateway of said at least one local gateway based on a result of said detecting, and deciding said second local gateway as a target local gateway for said terminal based on a result of said determining.

Abstract: The present invention addresses a method, apparatus and computer program product for accessing a local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, such as a MuLTEfire network, which implement identifying an available access point of the local area scoped network having non-access-stratum procedures, transmitting a message to the access point, indicating a request for retrieving network information, wherein the information are queried from the network before authorization and actually connecting to the network, selecting a service provider of the network based on received network information for binding the network identity to the selected service provider for accessing, and conveying a Non-Access Stratum service request to the network to cause authentication of the user equipment for connecting to the network.