Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed herein that relate to support for virtual Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge management, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, and TSN related scheduling in a cellular communications system. In some embodiments, a method performed by one or more network nodes of a cellular communications system operating as a virtual TSN bridge of a TSN network comprises providing, to a controller associated with the TSN network, parameters that relate to capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge. The parameters that relate to the capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge comprise a first parameter that defines a clock accuracy of an entity in the cellular communications system that operates gating control for the virtual TSN bridge and a second parameter that informs the controller associated with the TSN network that the virtual TSN bridge or a particular egress port of the virtual TSN bridge is restricted to exclusive gating.

Abstract: Systems and methods for secure data collection in Fifth Generation System (5GS) are provided. In some embodiments, a Data Collection Coordination Function (DCCF) in a data management framework is adapted to receive, from a first data consumer, a subscription request message, determine a data producer for the particular data, obtain one or more keys for data encryption and/or data integrity for the particular data, controlling one or more entities in a messaging framework of the data management framework, sending a subscription response message to the first data consumer, and sending a subscription request message to the data producer. The subscription request message comprises the one or more keys to be used by the data producer when sending notifications of the particular data to the first data consumer via the messaging framework.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods of updating a background data transfer (BDT) policy negotiated between an application function (AF) and a core network (CN) of a telecommunication network. Such methods can be performed by a Policy Control Function (PCF) of the CN and can include, in response to receiving a notification of degraded network performance of a network area, determining that the negotiated BDT policy is affected by the degraded network performance and an Application Service Provider (ASP) associated with the negotiated BDT policy requested a warning notification. Such methods can include determining, at least based on operator policies, updated BDT policy information for the negotiated BDT policy, wherein the updated BDT policy information comprises at least one of the following: at least one candidate BDT policy, and updated conditions for the negotiated BDT policy. Such methods can include sending the updated BDT policy information to the AF.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for ensuring network control of simultaneous access to network slices with application awareness. In one embodiment, a method performed in a cellular communications system comprises, at a wireless communication device, sending, to a Policy and Control Function (PCF) via an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), application identifiers (IDs) of applications used by the wireless communication device and receiving, from the PCF via the AMF, one or more User Equipment (UE) Route Selection Policy (URSP) rules that are based on the application IDs. The method further comprises, at the PCF, obtaining information about one or more mutually exclusive network slices, generating the one or more URSP rules based on the application IDs and the information about the one or more mutually exclusive network slices, and sending the one or more URSP rules to the wireless communication device via the AMF.

Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed herein that relate to support for virtual Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge management, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, and TSN related scheduling in a cellular communications system. In some embodiments, a method performed by one or more network nodes of a cellular communications system operating as a virtual TSN bridge of a TSN network comprises providing, to a controller associated with the TSN network, parameters that relate to capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge. The parameters that relate to the capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge comprise a first parameter that defines a clock accuracy of an entity in the cellular communications system that operates gating control for the virtual TSN bridge and a second parameter that informs the controller associated with the TSN network that the virtual TSN bridge or a particular egress port of the virtual TSN bridge is restricted to exclusive gating.

Abstract: A method of updating a background data transfer, BDT, policy negotiated between an application function, AF, and a Core Network, CN, is disclose. The method is performed by a Policy Control Function, PCF, of the CN and comprises determining updated BDT policy information including updated conditions for the negotiated BDT policy and at least one candidate BDT policy for the AP to select when the PCF determines that the negotiated BDT policy is affected by degraded network performance. The determined updated BDT policy information is then sent to the AF by the PCF using notification type interaction, thereby effectively updating the negotiated BDT policy.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a SMF (106) that receives a session request message transmitted by a User Equipment, UE (102), the session request message comprising a DNN and S-NSSAI pair; and after receiving the session request message, the SMF transmits towards a PCF (110), a policy create message that includes one or more of: i) the DNN and S-NSSAI pair from the session request message, ii) information indicating that a user plane for a PDU session for the DNN and S-NSSAI pair is redundancy capable, and iii) subscription information for the UE that indicates that the subscriber is allowed to have redundant transmissions.

Abstract: According to techniques disclosed herein, a Visited Communication Network (VCN) (10) selectively reports usage information back to a Home Communication Network (HCN) (50) for user traffic that is offloaded at the VCN (10) to a Data Network (DN) (14) rather than routed back to the HCN (50). Among the various advantages, the reporting supports charging operations in the HCN (50) regarding the offloaded traffic. Further advantages include the application of policy control and service-authorization control jointly between the VCN (10) and the HCN (50).

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for policy based selection of a network. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a user equipment (UE) includes obtaining a transfer policy from a policy node of a first network, the transfer policy being associated with a network selection for an application; and determining whether the application is to be transferred from using the first network to using a second network based at least in part on the obtained transfer policy, the first network being one of a standalone non-public network, SNPN, and a public land mobile network, PLMN and the second network being another one of the SNPN and the PLMN and the transfer policy being based at least in part on at least one of: (i) Quality-of-service, QoS, information associated with the application and (ii) whether the UE has a subscription to the second network.

Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed herein that relate to support for virtual Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge management, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, and TSN related scheduling in a cellular communications system. In some embodiments, a method performed by one or more network nodes of a cellular communications system operating as a virtual TSN bridge of a TSN network comprises providing, to a controller associated with the TSN network, parameters that relate to capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge. The parameters that relate to the capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge comprise a first parameter that defines a clock accuracy of an entity in the cellular communications system that operates gating control for the virtual TSN bridge and a second parameter that informs the controller associated with the TSN network that the virtual TSN bridge or a particular egress port of the virtual TSN bridge is restricted to exclusive gating.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided to enable a consumer network function (consumer NF) to discover instances of a NWDAF 90 co-located with NFs in the 5GC 30 of a communication network 10. Existing procedures and messages between NFs are leveraged to distribute lists of NWDAFs 90 co-located with a NF, such as a UPF 35, AMF 40 or SMF 45. A NF can provide a list of NWDAF instances for a particular UE 15 that are co-located with either the same NF or a separate producer NF when the communication procedure for the UE 15 is invoked. Over time, the consumer NFs build a database associating the co-located NWDAFs in other NFs with corresponding UEs 15 served by the consumer NF. When the consumer NF needs analytic data for one or more UEs 15 served by the consumer NF, the consumer NF can use a UE ID to look up the co-located NWDAFs for the UE 15 and subscribe with the co-located NWDAF instances to receive analytics data for the UE 15.

Abstract: A technique for maintaining a subscription of a subscriber Network Function, NF, for receiving events related to a User Equipment, UE, from a serving NF in a telecommunication system is disclosed, wherein the UE is served by a first instance of the serving NF.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for a policy control function (PCF) of a communication network. Such methods include, during establishment of a packet data unit, PDU, session for a user equipment, UE, determining one or more UE application descriptors that correspond to a network application identifier (AppId) of a service data flow (SDF) template for the PDU session. Each UE application descriptor includes a first identifier (OSId) of a UE-supported operating system (OS) and a second identifier (OSAppId) of an application for the UE-supported OS identified by the first identifier. Such methods include sending policy rules for the PDU session to a session management function (SMF) of the communication network. The policy rules include the UE application descriptors. Other embodiments include complementary methods for an SMF, as well as PCFs and SMFs configured to perform such methods.

Abstract: A method performed by an application function, AF, for a communication network, wherein the AF has been informed, in a first notification, about an out-of-credit event associated with a user of a service provided by the AF, the method comprising sending subscription request, to a network function, NF, for requesting notifications about reallocation-of-credit events associated with one or more users of a service provided by the AF; receiving, from the NF, a second notification of a reallocation-of-credit event associated with the user of the service provided by the AF for which the AF has been informed about the out-of-credit event, such that the AF can perform one or more second actions with respect to the service.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for event notification in a core network of a cellular communications system. In one embodiment, a method performed by a first Policy and Control Function (PCF) serving an Access Management (AM) policy association for a User Equipment (UE) wherein the first PCF is comprised in a core network of a cellular communications system comprises subscribing to an event exposure service of a second PCF serving a Session Management (SM) policy association for the UE. The method further comprises, responsive to subscribing to the event exposure service of the second PCF, receiving a report from the second PCF. In this manner, separate deployments of the first and second PCFs are enabled and still the first PCF serving the AM policy association for the UE can implement AM policies for the UE, e.g., based on UE data usage, e.g., of specified service bundles.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein that relate to Time Sensitive Communication (TSC) to Fifth Generation (5G) Quality of Service (QoS) mapping and associated QoS binding. In one embodiment, a method for QoS mapping in a 5G System (5GS) for a virtual Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge comprises, at a first network function, obtaining information from a TSN Application Function (AF) comprising baseline TSC QoS parameters and one or more additional parameters comprising either or both of: (a) one or more additional TSC QoS attributes and (b) one or more additional traffic attributes. The method further comprises, at the first network function, generating one or more Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules based on the obtained information and providing the one or more PCC rules to a second network function. The method further comprises, at the second network function, performing QoS binding based on the one or more PCC rules.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided to monitor and control the number of terminals (100) or number of PDU sessions for a network slice, or both. A new network function called the Network Slice Control Function (NSCF) (85) is defined that interacts with an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (40) and/or Session Management Function (SMF) (45) to monitor and control a number of users for a network slice, a number of PDU sessions for a network slice, or both. The NSCF (85) determines per slice quotas for the number of users and/or number of session for network slices and interacts with the AMF (40) and/or SMF (45) to enforce the quotas.

Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed herein that relate to support for virtual Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge management, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, and TSN related scheduling in a cellular communications system. In some embodiments, a method performed by one or more network nodes of a cellular communications system operating as a virtual TSN bridge of a TSN network comprises providing, to a controller associated with the TSN network, parameters that relate to capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge. The parameters that relate to the capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge comprise a first parameter that defines a clock accuracy of an entity in the cellular communications system that operates gating control for the virtual TSN bridge and a second parameter that informs the controller associated with the TSN network that the virtual TSN bridge or a particular egress port of the virtual TSN bridge is restricted to exclusive gating.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for providing network slice bit rate information and enforcing bit rate limitations. An exemplary method provides for receiving a network slice identifier identifying a network slice and corresponding network slice bit rate information (NS-BRI) for the identified network slice. The NS-BRI comprises i) first maximum bit rate information (MBRI) specifying a first maximum bit rate for the network slice and the user equipment, and/or ii) first guaranteed bit rate information (GBRI) specifying a first aggregate guaranteed bit rate for the network slice and the user equipment.

Abstract: A method of updating a background data transfer, BDT, policy negotiated between an application function, AF, and a Core Network, CN, is disclose. The method is performed by a Policy Control Function, PCF, of the CN and comprises determining updated BDT policy information including updated conditions for the negotiated BDT policy and at least one candidate BDT policy for the AP to select when the PCF determines that the negotiated BDT policy is affected by degraded network performance. The determined updated BDT policy information is then sent to the AF by the PCF using notification type interaction, thereby effectively updating the negotiated BDT policy.