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: In a wireless communication network implementing network slicing (NS), an Initial Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) for a user equipment (UE) in one NS is able to re-allocate a UE to a Target AMF in a different NS, despite not being able to directly communicate with the Target AMF due to NS security restrictions. In a first embodiment, the Initial AMF transfers the UE context—including its security context—to a Default AMF. The Default AMF has the capability to communicate with network functions in different NSes. The Default AMF transfers the UE context to the Target AMF. In a second embodiment, a security key Kamf? is horizontally derived in a manner that avoids NS security conflicts. The derived key is transferred to the UE and Target AMF, which establish a security context. In a third embodiment, the Initial AMF allocates a Token, and transfers it, along with the UE security context (directly or via RAN) to the Default AMF. The Default AMF then transfers the security context to the Target AMF.

Abstract: The AMF re-allocation procedure for an Initiating AMF that has reroute capability via an Access Network (AN) is optimized in scenarios where a wireless device, such as a User Equipment (UE), already shares a 5G security context with-in a Last Serving AMF that is different from the Initiating AMF, and where the Initiating AMF and the Last Serving AMF can communicate with each other via an interface.

Abstract: In one aspect, an MME throttles (or otherwise controls) the amount or frequency of UL data that a UE transmits in the control plane, such as by communicating to the UE rate control information (e.g., a throttling factor or throttling delay). For instance, the MME may throttle NAS messages with user data (i.e., NAS Data PDUs) sent using control plane CIoT EPS optimization by adding a throttling factor and/or a throttling delay in a NAS message sent to the UE.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method in a mobility management node (108) for handling overload in a communications network (100). When overload in the communications network (100) has been detected, the mobility management node (108) receives information indicating at least one blocked IP address to which access should be blocked. The mobility management node (108) receives a communication request message from a UE (101) via a RAN node (105). The communication request message is a request for communication by the UE (101). The mobility management node (108) determines that the UE's (101) request for communication should be rejected when the UE (101) is associated with a blocked IP address.

Abstract: The present invention relates to PDU session management and in particular methods and devices for establishing user plane resources for PDU sessions. This is realized in a number of embodiments such as methods and devices for an infrastructure node and user equipment node. For instance in a method for Protocol Data Unit, PDU, session management, with steps of receiving, at an Access and Mobility Management function entity, AMF, a registration request message transmitted by a user equipment, UE, wherein the registration request message comprises information indicating that one or more PDU sessions require user plane, UP, resources and identifying each of the PDU sessions that require UP resources, and in response to receiving the registration request message, the AMF transmitting to a session management function, SMF, a UP resource request message for requesting the SMF to establish UP resources for at least one of the PDU sessions that requires UP resources.

Abstract: Methods and systems for online services applications and application functions to provide User Equipment (UE)-generated information to network data analytics to support network automation and optimization are provided. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for an online services application or Application Function (AF) to provide UE-Generated Information (UGI) to support network automation and optimization comprises, at a Network Data Analytics (NWDA) function: receiving UGI that was collected by a UE or by an online services AF; generating network automation and optimization information based on at least some of the received UGI; and sending the network automation and optimization information to a Radio Access Network (RAN).

Abstract: A technique for selectively initiating a handover from a source system (510) comprising a first core network, CN, (512) and a first radio access network, RAN, (516) to a target system (530) comprising a second CN (532) and a second RAN (536) is described. As to a method aspect of the technique, it is determined if a control plane interface (520) for the handover is available between the first CN (512) and the second CN (532). Depending on the availability of the control plane interface (520), the handover is selectively initiated.

Abstract: Network slice configuration update methods for providing a user equipment (UE) registered with (or attempting to register with) a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) the most up-to-date Configured NSSAI for the PLMN.

Abstract: Methods of operating a network node in a cell of a wireless communication network are provided. Methods include broadcasting, to a user equipment, UE, a first network list that includes multiple public network identifiers that correspond to public networks in the cell, and broadcasting, to the UE, a second network list that includes multiple non-public network, NPN, identifiers that correspond to NPNs in the cell. Each of the public network identifiers and NPN identifiers includes multiple data fields. The network identifiers include a mobile country code, MCC, a mobile network code, MNC and at least one of a control access group, CAG, and a network identifier, NID.

Abstract: There is provided mechanisms for quality of service differentiation between network slices. A method is performed by a prioritization entity. The method comprises obtaining relative priority values for the network slices from a network entity. The method comprises providing an access network entity with a relative priority value for a protocol data unit (PDU) flow as given by the relative priority value for the network slice used by that PDU flow, thereby causing differentiation of the quality of service for the network slices.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method for use in a core network node comprises: obtaining a mapping of core network (CN) slice identifiers to radio access network (RAN) slice identifiers; receiving a slice registration request from a user equipment (UE); determining a slice identifier associated with the slice registration request; and sending a slice registration response to the UE. The slice registration response includes the determined slice identifier. According to some embodiments, a method for use in a network node comprises obtaining a mapping of CN slice identifiers to RAN slice identifiers. The method may further comprise receiving a connection request from a UE that includes a network slice identifier; determining a RAN slice identifier based on the network slice identifier; and applying a policy of a network slice associated with the determined network slice identifier to the requested connection.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are disclosed. In some embodiments, a network node configured to communicate with a wireless device (WD) is provided. The network node is configured to indicate, in a System Information Block (SIB) whether a network supports an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) emergency communication service, the indication associated to a network identifier, the network identifier identifying the network. In some embodiments, a wireless device is configured to receive, in a SIB, an indication of whether a network supports an IMS emergency communication service, the indication associated to a network identifier, the network identifier identifying the network; and select a network to initiate an emergency communication service based at least in part on the received indication.

Abstract: A method of operating a session management network of a telecommunications network is disclosed. The method includes sending to a management network node an accept of a session establishment request of a wireless device; and receiving message from the management network node, including a session connectivity rejection message sent by a radio access network node serving the wireless device. The session connectivity rejection message indicates a rejection of the acceptance of the session establishment request of the wireless device. The method further includes determining that the radio access network did not send the accept of the session establishment request to the wireless device based on the session connectivity rejection message creating a session establishment rejection message; and transmitting the session establishment rejection message toward the wireless device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for implementing mobile terminating call. According to an embodiment, a subscriber management node obtains, from a mobility management node, an indication that indicates whether a packet switching (PS) connection is currently active for a terminal device. The subscriber management node receives, from a server, a first query about whether a PS access domain is to be used for a terminating call to the terminal device. The subscriber management node sends a response to the server based on the obtained indication.

Abstract: During PDN connection establishment in the EPC, a UE and a session managment entity (SME) (e.g., PGW-C+SMF) exchange information. In case the SME supports more than one S-NSSAI, before the SME provides an S-NSSAI to the UE, the SME should check such that the selected S-NSSAI is among the UE's subscribed S-NSSAIs by retrieving the Subscribed S-NSSAI from a UDM using, for example, the Nudm_SDM_Get service operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus for a synchronization of a status of a QoS flow in a communication system. A method is performed at a terminal device, for a synchronization of a status of a quality of service, QoS, flow in a communication system. The method comprises: deleting (S101) the QoS flow locally; marking (S102) a status of the QoS flow as being deleted and not synchronized; and transmitting (S103) a protocol data unit, PDU, session modification request to synchronize the status of the QoS flow. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the status of the QoS Flow is changed by one of the terminal device or the network side in some scenarios, the status of the QoS Flow can still be synchronized.

Abstract: A method by a core network node of a core network of a wireless communication system for authenticating a user equipment, UE, to the core network includes receiving a first authentication request to authenticate the UE to the core network, determining that the UE should be authenticated by an external authentication entity that is external to the wireless communication system, transmitting a second authentication request to the external authentication entity, the second authentication request identifying the UE, receiving an authentication response from the external authentication entity verifying authenticity of the UE, the authentication response including a master key, and deriving a first key for securing communications with the UE from the master key.

Abstract: Avoiding transmission of unnecessary 5G session management (SM) messages in a cellular communications system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a Session Management Function (SMF) comprises determining that a non-access stratum (NAS) message carrying a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment accept indication was not sent to a user equipment (UE) by a radio access network (RAN). The method further comprises, responsive to determining that the NAS message carrying the PDU session establishment accept indication was not sent to the UE, sending a PDU session establishment reject indication to the UE. In some embodiments, determining that the NAS message carrying the PDU session establishment accept indication was not sent to the UE comprises receiving an Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext request comprising a cause, and determining that the NAS message carrying the PDU session establishment accept indication was not sent to the UE based on the cause.

Abstract: Core network equipment (20) in a wireless communication system transmits control plane signaling (22) to a user equipment (16) which receives that control plane signaling (22). The control plane signaling (22) indicates a privacy key (24) with which a subscriber identifier (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity, IMSI) associated with the user equipment (16) is to be encrypted or decrypted. The control plane signaling (22) may be non-access stratum, NAS, signaling. The privacy key (24) may be a public key of a home network associated with the subscriber identifier.