Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for survival time dependent flexible handover execution are provided. One method may include providing, by a network node, at least one handover execution condition to at least one user equipment. The at least one handover execution condition may include one or more delta values with respect to one or more actual handover execution conditions to allow for early and/or late execution of a handover by the at least one user equipment. The method may also include indicating, to the at least one user equipment, a transfer interval and/or a survival time information for which the at least one handover execution condition is taken into account.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving network slice information from a core network entity, the network slice information related to a network slice which is not supported in one or more cells of a first tracking area, but which is supported in one or more cells of a second tracking area. The method further comprises triggering a procedure at a user equipment to access said network slice based on said network slice information when said user equipment is in one or more cells of the first tracking area.

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: 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: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for source cell to provide a service/slice indication to the target cell in the handover preparation. The source cell provides to a target cell a list of one or more service/slice specific indications for individual ones of one or more network slices in a request for enhanced handover from the source cell to the target cell in a handover preparation phase. The source cell receives from the target cell, indications in a handover request acknowledgement of one or more selected network slices to be handed over from the source cell to the target cell using enhanced handovers. Performs make-before-break handovers to hand over these selected network slices from the source cell to the target cell and performs normal handovers for the one or more other network slices.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are described by which, upon preparing a handover of a terminal device in a source cell, mobility information and at least one connected slice network slice identifier identifying at least one network slice used by the terminal device is added to a terminal device history of the terminal device, and the terminal device history is sent to a target cell for the handover.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, comprising means for performing: receiving a first message, the first message indicating information for at least one network slice identity in one or more radio network areas; receiving a second message, the second message indicating configuration information for one or more network slices; determining a configuration to be used for a given network slice based on the first and second messages.

Abstract: An apparatus for use by a communication network control element or function configured to control a communication connection with a communication element or function in a first area and using a specific communication capability, the apparatus being configured to determine that a handover procedure is conducted for the communication element to switch the communication connection from the first area to a second area controlled by a target communication network control element or function to cause sending of a handover related request to the target communication network control element or function for starting a handover procedure, the handover related request including a request for service continuity including an indication that service continuity is required for at least one specific communication session, wherein the request for service continuity indicates that a path switch to the communication network is to be delayed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may include receiving, by a network entity, at least one parameter associated with at least one network slice, and generating, by the network entity, at least one domain management data analytics service (MDAS) report based on the received at least one parameter. At least one MDAS report comprising at least one radio access network recommendation associated with one or more of the at least one network slices may then be transmitted.

Abstract: It is provided a method, comprising generating a mobility ranking list based on received performance relevant information for a plurality of cells, wherein the performance relevant information indicates a performance of each of the cells of the plurality of cells, and the mobility ranking list indicates for each of the cells of the plurality of cells a respective priority for the respective cell to reserve a radio resource for a terminal; providing the mobility ranking list to at least one of the cells.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for conditional handover (CHO) execution with network slice service continuity prioritization are provided. A radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message sent by a source radio access network (RAN) node to the user equipment (UE) may include, for each CHO configuration, an associated network slice-related priority index. The UE may take this index into account when selecting a suitable cell during CHO recovery. Additionally, or alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message sent by a source RAN node may include, for each CHO configuration, an associated network slice support information of the candidate target cell. The message may also include network slice remapping information for any network slice associated with one of the candidate target cells. Using the above network slice-related information received from the network, the UE can prioritize the cell to select during CHO recovery in case more than one suitable cell is available.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for a service-centric mobility-based traffic steering.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for conditional handover (CHO) execution with network slice service continuity prioritization are provided. A radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message sent by a source radio access network (RAN) node to the user equipment (UE) may include, for each CHO configuration, an associated network slice-related priority index. The UE may take this index into account when selecting a suitable cell during CHO recovery. Additionally, or alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message sent by a source RAN node may include, for each CHO configuration, an associated network slice support information of the candidate target cell. The message may also include network slice remapping information for any network slice associated with one of the candidate target cells. Using the above network slice-related information received from the network, the UE can prioritize the cell to select during CHO recovery in case more than one suitable cell is available.

Abstract: An apparatus for use by a first communication network control element configured to control a communication connection of at least one communication element in a first network area providing a specific communication capability, the apparatus including processing circuitry, and memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processing circuitry, wherein the memory and the instructions are configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least: to determine that a communication element communicating in the first network area and using the specific communication capability enters a second network area which does not provide the specific communication capability and that there is a switching of the communication connection to the second network area, and to cause sending of connection switching information related to the switching of the communication connection of the communication element to a second communication network control element.

Abstract: There are provided measures for feedback on network-assisted fallback to contention-based random access.

Abstract: There are provided measures for network-assisted fallback to contention-based random access.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention pertain to a method, comprising receiving a preparatory handover request pertaining to at least one or more physical resources, respectively associated to a particular communication service, preliminarily deciding on the feasibility of such preparatory handover request for each of said at least one or more physical resources associated to the particular communication service dependent on at least one feasibility criterion, and validating the preliminary decision on the feasibility of the preparatory handover request dependent on at least one validation criterion. Likewise, corresponding apparatus and computer program products are addressed, both from network entity perspective such as a gNB, as well as from a terminal's perspective, e.g. from a UE perspective.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for source cell to provide a service/slice indication to the target cell in the handover preparation. The source cell provides to a target cell a list of one or more service/slice specific indications for individual ones of one or more network slices in a request for enhanced handover from the source cell to the target cell in a handover preparation phase. The source cell receives from the target cell, indications in a handover request acknowledgement of one or more selected network slices to be handed over from the source cell to the target cell using enhanced handovers. Performs make-before-break handovers to hand over these selected network slices from the source cell to the target cell and performs normal handovers for the one or more other network slices.

Abstract: There are provided measures for cell relations optimization. Such measures exemplarily comprise maintaining a table including a plurality of entries, each of said plurality of entries being assigned to a respective one of a plurality of neighboring cells, and each of said plurality of entries comprises overlapping amount information in relation to a source cell and said respective one of said plurality of neighboring cells and overlapping location information in relation to said source cell and said respective one of said plurality of neighboring cells, and utilizing said table for assessment of a suitability of each of said plurality of said neighboring cells for an inter-cell capability.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are described by which, upon preparing a handover of a terminal device in a source cell, mobility information and at least one connected slice network slice identifier identifying at least one network slice used by the terminal device is added to a terminal device history of the terminal device, and the terminal device history is sent to a target cell for the handover.