Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising: detecting a need to perform a handover for a user equipment from a cell of a second node of the radio access network to a cell of a third node of the radio access network, transmitting, to the second node and in response to detecting the need to perform the handover, a control message comprising an indication for downlink data forwarding at a radio link control level to the third node.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for use in a user equipment, wherein the user equipment is operable to be registered in a registration area, the apparatus comprising means configured to perform: providing, to a first network entity, a first message, wherein the first message comprises an indication that the user equipment supports non-uniformly supported network slices in the registration area. The means further configured to perform receiving, from a second network entity, a second message, wherein the second message comprises group mapping information for a tracking area of the registration area, wherein the group mapping information maps the tracking area to at least one group, the at least one group comprising a list of network slices that are non-uniformly supported in the tracking area.

Abstract: According to the disclosure there is provided an apparatus. The apparatus comprises means for performing: receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis, the first information comprising an identifier of the network slice; and receiving second information of the network slice, the second information comprising timing information of the network slice, indicating it's available period after expiry of which its removed from the allowed network slices list without any explicit signalling.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable media for node failure identification and recovery. In the embodiments, a first network device for a radio access network detects an error of communication over a first interface between the first network device and a third network device. The first network device transmits to a second network device of the radio access network, a request for the second network device to check status of a second interface between the second network device and the third network device. Then the first network device receives, from the second network device, status information on the second interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a technique for performing a cell re-selection procedure for a multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) in a wireless communication network that supports network slicing. More specifically, the proposed technique involves considering a spatial separation or, in other words, orthogonality between cells that support the network slice(s) of the mobile MPUE and other neighbouring cells. The mobile MPUE camps/reselects a cell X that supports its network slices only if the spatial separation between the cell X and other neighbouring cells is deemed to be high enough by the MPUE based on parameters received from a serving network node. The parameters may be reported to the MPUE by using a dedicated or broadcast signalling. By so doing, it is possible to provide the slice-based cell re-selection procedure for the mobile MPUE, which may be effectively (in terms of inter-cell interference suppression) used in the intra-frequency scenario.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising means for: determine, at a target master node of a master cell group associated with a communications device, one or more of: a target secondary node of a secondary cell group associated with the communications device for providing dual connectivity for the communications device; and one or more secondary cells of the target secondary node, wherein the determining uses information associated with one or more of; one or more allowed and/or configured slices of the communications device; and a registration area of the communications device.

Abstract: There are provided measures for enabling/realizing energy saving in a service-based access network such as a service-based radio access network, particularly energy saving at a specified granularity in a service-based access network such as a service-based radio access network. Such measures exemplarily comprise that a node or element in the service-based access network captures an energy saving request or command of an energy saving service in the service-based access network, wherein the energy saving request or command enables that the specified granularity can be deduced, and is configured to request or command initiation of an energy saving mode, notifies one or more service consumer entities of initiation of the requested or commanded energy saving mode, and initiates the requested or commanded energy saving mode.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising means for: receiving, at a user equipment from a first access point supporting a serving cell, one or more user equipment specific allocations of a random access preamble and timing information associated with the random access preamble, the timing information indicating when the user equipment is to use the associated random access preamble; responsive to the receiving, starting a timer; and sending, to a second access point supporting a target cell, a random access request including one of the one or more random access preambles, the included random access preamble being selected based on a value of the timer and the timing information.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus configured to perform as a base station central unit control plane node, setup, into an inactive state, a protocol connection with at least one client node, wherein the apparatus does not control or actively serve the said client node while the protocol connection is in the inactive state, synchronize, while the protocol connection is in the inactive state, at least one control plane user equipment context of the base station from a second base station central unit control plane node which controls the at least one client node, and responsive to receiving an instruction from outside the apparatus, switch the protocol connection into an active state and begin controlling the at least one client node. The apparatus may serve user equipments directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to survival time aware mobility and presents handover procedures when considering survival time (ST) requirements. It proposes a mechanism and embodiments to allow a target cell to have the information relating to a joining UE's Survival Time requirements as well as the ST status during the handover procedure. In particular, the invention is aimed at being introduced into the mobility procedures: Baseline Handover (BHO), Conditional HO (CHO), and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) HO. In addition to the aggregated RAN architecture, the mobility procedures can be applicable to disaggregated RAN architecture, e.g., CU-DU split.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a technique for steering a Random Access Channel (RACH) a wireless communication network supporting a set of network slices. More specifically, the technique involves generating, at a RAN node, RACH steering information for the set of network slices. The RACH steering information comprises an indication for a UE to select one of available RACH configurations with a RACH configuration-specific probability. In one embodiment, the RACH steering information may be defined based on at least one network slice-specific RACH policy or at least one network slice-specific resource sharing quota provided from a network management entity to the RAN node. In another embodiment, the RAN node may generate RACH steering information based on locally available information about the set of network slices. Once the RACH steering information is generated, the RAN node transmits it to the UE.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method comprising evaluating a survival time status of a terminal device, determining a handover command transmission based at least partly on the survival time status, and transmitting the handover command to the terminal device based on the determining.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause a network node to transmit a first information, which characterizes one or more slices onto which a network allows slices of existing PDU sessions to be re-mapped, to a user equipment.

Abstract: In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method comprising: receiving, from a first network node in a network via a service-based interface, an update request comprising at least one context information for at least one user equipment in the network and a context key, wherein the at least one user equipment is in a radio resource control connected state; storing or updating the at least one context information at the radio access network data storage function; receiving a retrieve request from a second network node in the network, wherein the retrieve request comprises the context key; retrieving the at least one context information for the at least one user equipment in response to the retrieve request from the second network node based at least on the context key; and sending the at least one context information to the second network node. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A Quality of Service (QOS) framework of mobile and wireless communication networks, particularly, the Fifth Generation (5G) QoS framework include a Radio Access Network (RAN) entity and User Equipment (UE) for enabling RAN awareness of a tolerance of an application to transmission failures of application data, and QoS treatment based on this resilience. The RAN entity is configured to receive information indicating at least one resilience parameter of the application, from a control entity, another RAN entity, and/or UE. The at least one resilience parameter is based on the tolerance of the application to transmission failures, in particular, consecutive transmission failures.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method comprising evaluating a survival time status of a terminal device, determining a handover command transmission based at least partly on the survival time status, and transmitting the handover command to the terminal device based on the determining.

Abstract: In some example embodiments, there may be provided a data storage function for handling user equipment context information. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes receiving, from a first network node via a service-based interface, at least one context information for at least one user equipment in a radio resource control inactive state; storing and/or updating the at least one context information; receiving a retrieve request from a second network node via the service-based interface, wherein the retrieve request comprises a context key; retrieving the at least one context information for the at least one user equipment in response to the retrieve request based at least on the context key; and sending the at least one context information for the at least one user equipment to the second network node via the service-based interface. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a method, comprising: communicating a first data session on a first network slice with a source network node; receiving an indication indicating whether or not mapping the first data session to a second data session at a target network node requires switching to a second network slice, wherein the user equipment is equipped with a dual active protocol stack enabling the user equipment to communicate with the source network node and with the target network node during the handover process of the apparatus from a source cell provided by the source network node to a target cell provided by the target network node; deciding to continue the first data session on the first network slice with the source network node during the handover process; and deciding, based on the indication, when to start user plane data communication on the second data session with the target network node.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus in a first network access node, the apparatus comprising means configured to perform: obtaining cell information comprising a list of network slices supported by at least one neighbour cell neighbouring a serving cell, wherein the network slices in the list are non-uniformly supported in a tracking area associated with the at least one neighbour cell. The means further configured to perform: identifying, using the obtained cell information, a target cell from the at least one neighbour cell that supports a network slice currently used by a user equipment, for performing a change from the serving cell to the target cell.

Abstract: A method performed at an apparatus for configuration of a Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Area (RNA) is provided. The method comprises receiving a message including RNA information to be temporarily added to the RNA, and timing information associated to the RNA information. The method further comprises configuring the RNA by temporarily adding the RNA information to the RNA based on the timing information.