Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method performed by a network management system for managing one or more radio access networks (RANs) comprises receiving an indication from a RAN that a RAN identifier has been assigned for a wireless device, associating a management system identifier for the wireless device with the RAN identifier for the wireless device; and storing the association in a wireless device registry.

Abstract: A method of provisioning a communication service instance to a customer. The method performed at a network slice management function, NSMF, comprises receiving from a communications service management function, CSMF, a first message requesting an operation on at least one network slice instance, NSI. The first message comprises attributes and their values defining at least one service profile. The method further comprises sending to a network slice subnet management function, NSSMF, a second message requesting an operation on at least one network slice subnet instance, NSSI. The second message comprises attributes and their values defining at least one slice profile, wherein the at least one slice profile is based on attributes and their values defining profiles of at least one customer facing service, CFS, and at least one resource facing service, RFS, associated with said at least one customer facing service, CFS.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method performed by a non-real time radio access network intelligent controller (NonRT-RIC) network node comprises obtaining data for improving radio resource management (RRM) of a radio access network (RAN) and building an A1 interface message comprising one or more enrichment information (EI) elements based on the obtained data. Each of the one or more EI elements comprises an identifier of one or more wireless devices, a type indicator indicating a type of enrichment data included in the EI element, and the enrichment data. The method further comprises transmitting the AI interface message to a near real time radio access network intelligent controller (NearRT-RIC).

Abstract: A Central Unit-Control Plane (“CU-CP”) of a radio access network (“RAN”) node can operate in a communication network to dynamically schedule user-plane (“UP”) communications. The CU-CP can be communicatively coupled to a Distributed Unit (“DU”) and a Central Unit-User Plane (“CU-UP”) of the RAN node. The CU-CP can provide indication of one or more available UP paths to at least one network element. The at least one network element can include one or more of: a user equipment, UE; the CU-UP of the RAN node; and/or the DU of the RAN node. The CU-CP can provide indication of a scheduling strategy for data transmissions to the at least one network element.

Abstract: A method of allocating reference signals for determining radio link quality, in a source node, the method triggering or comprising the steps of: Transmitting to a candidate node information about at least one reference signal allocated for transmission in at least one beam controlled by the source node and/or information about one or more reference signals eligible to be allocated for a transmission in at least one beam controlled by the candidate node.

Abstract: A method performed by a UE trace initiation node for a wireless communication network comprises transmitting, via a direct interface to a radio access network node or function, a trace request message comprising a request to initiate a trace on one or more user equipments. A method performed by a radio access network node or function for a wireless communication network comprises receiving, via a direct interface with a UE trace initiation node, a trace request message comprising a request to initiate a trace on one or more user equipments.

Abstract: It is provided a method for configuring a first radio network node to join a system area of a mobile network, each system area being served by one or more radio network nodes configured to collaborate in user data transmissions. The method is performed in a configuration device and comprises the steps of: obtaining system area data, using the first radio network node, relating to at least one system area of a second radio network node; selecting a system area for the first radio network node to join based on the system area data; and triggering the first radio network node to join the selected system area.

Abstract: It is provided a method for configuring a first radio network node to join a system area of a mobile network, each system area being served by one or more radio network nodes configured to collaborate in user data transmissions. The method is performed in a configuration device and comprises the steps of: obtaining system area data, using the first radio network node, relating to at least one system area of a second radio network node; selecting a system area for the first radio network node to join based on the system area data; and triggering the first radio network node to join the selected system area.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method (20) for initiating a blind handover of a terminal (2) in a wireless communications system (1). The terminal (2) is served by a first cell using a first frequency band and a first radio access technology, wherein the wireless communications system (1) employs a method for dynamically changing coverage in at least one of the first cell and a second cell. The method (20) comprises estimating (21) the coverage in the second cell, wherein at least one of a second frequency band and a second radio access technology of the second cell may differ from the first frequency band and the first radio access technology, an initiating (22) the blind handover for the terminal (2) to the second cell only if the estimated coverage in the second cell meets a criterion. A wireless communications system (1), computer programs and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node for handling communication in a communication network, the communication network comprises a radio network node providing radio coverage over a second service area and an access node providing radio coverage over a first service area. The network node determines that the first service area covers the second service area, and in that case requests the access node to broadcast access information for the second service area.

Abstract: A method of allocating reference signals for determining radio link quality, in a source node, the method triggering or comprising the steps of: Transmitting to a candidate node information about at least one reference signal allocated for transmission in at least one beam controlled by the source node and/or information about one or more reference signals eligible to be allocated for a transmission in at least one beam controlled by the candidate node.

Abstract: Automatically assigning an area code to a first radio access network (RAN) node by obtaining, at one time or over a period of time, wireless communication device (WCD) area code measurement information generated by one or more WCDs based on the detection of one or more signals transmitted by one or more RAN nodes neighboring the first RAN node; using the WCD area code measurement information to select an area code for the first RAN node; and assigning the selected area code to the first RAN node.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node for handling communication in a communication network, the communication network comprises a radio network node providing radio coverage over a second service area and an access node providing radio coverage over a first service area. The network node determines that the first service area covers the second service area, and in that case requests the access node to broadcast access information for the second service area.

Abstract: A method in a system function capable of differently handling unattended data traffic as compared to attended data traffic. By using a dedicated policy on how to handle unattended data traffic, detected unattended data traffic is handled according to the dedicated policy. A communication device, a radio network node and a network node capable of differently handling unattended data traffic as compared to attended data traffic are provided for enforcing a policy to comply with requirements in 3GPP TS 22.101 regarding handling of unattended traffic at user plane congestion. Further embodiments provide for enforcing policies even in an uncongested state.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method for controlling an outage of a network element (300) in a cellular network (40) using an outage database (130), the outage database containing for each of a plurality of the network elements (300) controlled by the cellular network at least the following network element dependent information: first operating parameters describing an error free operation of the corresponding network element, outage detection rules indicating when a outage for the corresponding network element is present, outage compensation rules indicating how the outage of the corresponding network element should be compensated, the outage compensation rules including compensation parameters to be used by compensating network elements (300b-300g) in order to compensate the outage of one of the network elements (300a).

Abstract: Automatically assigning an area code to a first radio access network (RAN) node by obtaining, at one time or over a period of time, wireless communication device (WCD) area code measurement information generated by one or more WCDs based on the detection of one or more signals transmitted by one or more RAN nodes neighboring the first RAN node; using the WCD area code measurement information to select an area code for the first RAN node; and assigning the selected area code to the first RAN node.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method (20) for initiating a blind handover of a terminal (2) in a wireless communications system (1). The terminal (2) is served by a first cell using a first frequency band and a first radio access technology, wherein the wireless communications system (1) employs a method for dynamically changing coverage in at least one of the first cell and a second cell. The method (20) comprises estimating (21) the coverage in the second cell, wherein at least one of a second frequency band and a second radio access technology of the second cell may differ from the first frequency band and the first radio access technology, an initiating (22) the blind handover for the terminal (2) to the second cell only if the estimated coverage in the second cell meets a criterion. A wireless communications system (1), computer programs and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a method in a transmitting radio node (12) for handling data packets within a radio bearer in a radio communications network (1). The transmitting radio node (12) sets up, within a radio bearer, a logical sub-channel for each of at least two identified packet flows. The transmitting radio node (12) associates an identity to each data packet of respective identified packet flow, where the identity is indicating the logical sub-channel of the respective identified traffic flow. The transmitting radio node (12) transfers the data packets of respective identified packet flow in an order over a channel in the radio communications network (1), where the order of transferring is based on the identity of each data packet.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method for controlling an outage of a network element (300) in a cellular network (40) using an outage database (130), the outage database containing for each of a plurality of the network elements (300) controlled by the cellular network at least the following network element dependent information: first operating parameters describing an error free operation of the corresponding network element, outage detection rules indicating when a outage for the corresponding network element is present, outage compensation rules indicating how the outage of the corresponding network element should be compensated, the outage compensation rules including compensation parameters to be used by compensating network elements (300b-300g) in order to compensate the outage of one of the network elements (300a).

Abstract: A method in a transmitting radio node for scheduling service data flows within a radio bearer towards a receiving radio node in a radio communications network is provided. The transmitting radio node maps data packets of at least two service data flows within the radio bearer to a respective pre-scheduling queue at a PDCP layer, wherein each pre-scheduling queue is associated with a service or a service quality requirement of the respective service data flow. The transmitting radio node further pre-schedules the data packets of the respective pre-scheduling queue down to a scheduling queue at a RLC or a MAC layer. The transmitting radio node further schedules the data packets in the scheduling queue towards the receiving radio node. The transmitting radio node takes a prebuffer time of a data packet queued in the pre-scheduling queue into account when pre-scheduling and/or scheduling the data packets.