Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for informing a central unit control plane regarding the capabilities and/or service area of a central unit user plane are provided. For example, a method may include notifying, by a central unit user plane to a central unit control plane using a message, at least one of an offered multicast radio bearer configuration to be shared in relation with a multicast/broadcast session served by the central unit user plane and one or more offered service area corresponding to the central unit user plane.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising means for performing: determining a presence of at least one user equipment that is participating in a multicast session while in an inactive state; determining an area where handling of the multicast session for the at least one user equipment in inactive state is required; determining one or more nodes handling cells within at least a part of the determined area for handling the multicast session; in response to the determining a presence of at least one user equipment in inactive state, sending to each determined node a request to handle the multicast session for the at least one user equipment in inactive state.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising, at a multicast/broadcast session management function of a core network, means for receiving information related to a shared centralised unit user plane, CU UP for a multicast/broadcast session, from a radio access network, RAN, node or an access management function of the core network, means for determining, based on the information, whether to configure a user plane function of the core network to deliver data or to terminate delivery of data for the multicast/broadcast session towards the shared CU UP and means for, if so, configuring the user plane function to deliver data or to terminate delivery of data for the multicast/broadcast session towards the shared CU UP

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising at least one processing circuitry, and at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the at least one processing circuitry, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least to receive a request for joining a terminal endpoint device to an established multicast session; based on the received request, subscribe at a network entity to one or several notifications, the one or several notifications indicating whether data to be transmitted for the established multicast session is available for multicasting; obtain a subscribed notification from the network entity if data for the established multicast session is available for multicasting; and responsive to the obtained subscribed notification, issue for the established multicast session a downlink data notification for the terminal endpoint device.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising transmitting (102) a request (MR#1) indicating a de-mapping of at least one QoS flow from a unicast radio channel (UCH) between a secondary node (SN) and a radio terminal (UE), and indicating a mapping of the at least one QoS flow to a multicast radio channel (MCH) between the secondary node (SN) and a plurality of radio terminals, the plurality of radio terminals comprising the radio terminal (UE); and demapping (108) received user plane data (upd) associated with the at least one QoS flow from the unicast radio channel (UCH); and mapping (110) the received user plane data (upd) associated with the at least one QoS flow to the multicast radio channel (MCH).

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer program product for slice aware pre-emption signaling. A method include receiving (500) at a network node, a first session setup or modification request message for a first user equipment setting up a first session flow. The method also includes receiving (505) at the network node, a second session setup or modification request message for a second user equipment setting up a second session flow. The method further includes receiving (510) at the network node, a third session setup or modification request message for a third user equipment setting up a third session flow. In addition, the method includes pre-empting (515) the first session flow or the second session flow based on a pre-emptable information element or a non-pre-emptable information element.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for broadcast service restoration for multicast/broadcast service upon radio access node failure or restart are provided. For example, a method may include storing a last multicast/broadcast service session information received from a multicast/broadcast session management function corresponding to a multicast/broadcast service session. The method may also include detecting that a radio access node associated with the multicast/broadcast service session has restarted or is unreachable. The method may further include taking a further action to adjust the delivery of the multicast/broadcast service session based on the detection.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for restoration of multicast/broadcast service upon multicast/broadcast failure with restart are provided. For example, a method may include detecting a restart of a multicast/broadcast user plane function that was supporting a packet forwarding control protocol session for a multicast/broadcast session. The method may also include re-creating a packet forwarding control protocol session for the multicast/broadcast session. The method may further include providing addressing information for the data delivery of the broadcast/multicast session to the multicast/broadcast user plane function and instructing the multicast/broadcast user plane function to use this addressing information for the broadcast/multicast session if possible.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for restoration of multicast/broadcast service upon multicast/broadcast user plane function failure without restart are provided. For example, a method may include detecting non-functionality of a first multicast/broadcast user plane function that was supporting a packet forwarding control protocol session context for a multicast/broadcast session. The method may also include reselecting a second multicast/broadcast user plane function. The method may further include recreating a packet forwarding control protocol session context in the second multicast/broadcast user plane function for said multicast/broadcast session. The method may additionally include receiving new addressing information for the delivery of said multicast/broadcast session data from said second multicast/broadcast user plane function. The method may also include updating a network element with the new addressing information.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus comprising means for performing: receiving first radio capability information from a user equipment, the first radio capability information in a format of a first radio access technology; generating second radio capability information of the user equipment based on the first radio capability information, wherein the second radio capability information is generated in a format of a second radio access technology; and sending the first radio capability information and the second radio capability information to a core network node.

Abstract: There is provided a method at a first network node, comprising: receiving, from a second network node, a message comprising a requested quality of service (QoS) profile and one or more alternative QoS profiles, wherein the QoS profiles are associated with a communication with a user equipment; determining that the requested QoS profile cannot be provided by the first network node for a communication between the first network node and the user equipment; determining that at least one of the one or more alternative QoS profiles can be provided by the first network node for a communication between the first network node and the user equipment; transmitting, to the second network node, an indication that an alternative QoS profile can be provided by the first network node; and, transmitting, to the second network node, an indication for configuring the user equipment based on the requested QoS profile.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for changing MRB ID without requiring release and add functions. One method may include receiving, by a user equipment, a RRC reconfiguration message from a network entity comprising a MRB. The MRB is identified by a first MRB ID, and the RRC reconfiguration message further comprises a second MRB ID associated with the first MRB ID. The user equipment associates the MRB with the second MRB ID configured for subsequent identification of the MRB. The user equipment receives MBS data through the MRB associated with the second MRB ID.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for the configuration of user device(s) for reception of point-to-multipoint transmission are provided. One method may include receiving, at a user equipment, a configuration for point-to-multipoint reception of a group-common transport channel. The configuration may include a group-common signaling configuration for a group of user equipment. The method may also include receiving, at the user equipment, a point-to-multipoint reconfiguration message using the group-common signaling configuration on the group-common transport channel from a device (e.g., a network node). The point-to-multipoint reconfiguration message may include an updated point-to-multipoint configuration. The method may then include receiving point-to-multipoint data, from the device on the group-common transport channel, based on the updated point-to-multipoint configuration.

Abstract: There is provided a network apparatus comprising: means for storing a mapping, the mapping comprising an indication of a first virtual network and at least one other virtual network configured to provide a service at a lower quality than the first virtual network; means for receiving, from another network apparatus, a request to provide a service using the first virtual network; and means for using the mapping and the indication of the first virtual network to select a virtual network to provide the requested service.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a handover request from a source BS, the handover request comprising a request for a handover of a UE involved in at least two QoS flows using a first MRB with the source BS, wherein the apparatus is using at least a second MRB for other UEs; starting to buffer packets for the UE; receiving a subsequent message comprising, for each of the at least two QoS flows, a CN SN of a first packet not transmitted by the source BS for that QoS flow; identifying a second packet with the highest protocol entity SN according to a protocol entity transmission order of the second MRB among packets which the source BS has delivered to the UE using the first MRB and the apparatus has transmitted to the other UEs using the second MRB; and transmitting a message configuring the UE to use the second MRB.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for improving service continuity are disclosed. The solution comprises storing (300) information slice remapping describing how a given net-work slice may be mapped to another network slice, receiving (302) a first message from an access node, that the node serves a terminal or has received a request to serve a terminal utilising a network slice not supported by the node and transmitting (304) based on the first message a message to a network entity responsible for session management to control the connection of the terminal, with the information on slice remapping and/or activity status of the packet data unit sessions associated with the slice not supported by the node.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for configured grant small data transmission reconfiguration without user equipment context in a distributed unit are provided. For example, a method can include receiving, at a first network element, data in a transmission from a user equipment. The method can also include storing a first indication of a first configuration used by the user equipment to perform the transmission. The method can further include sending, to a second network element, a resume request to set up communication context for the data transmission. The method can additionally include receiving, from the second network element, a second indication of a second configuration previously allocated to the user equipment. The method can also include comparing the first indication and the second indication. The method can further include proceeding with setting up the communication of the data based on the comparing.

Abstract: A method comprising transmitting a configuration of a default time period, wherein the default time period is for allowing a terminal device to consider a request for leaving an active network connection to a first network as accepted by the first network if the first network does not send a response within that the default period, to the terminal device, receiving a first message, from the terminal device, indicating a request to leave the active network connection, determining an overriding condition that overrides the default time period for leaving the active network condition and transmitting, to the terminal device, a second message comprising the overriding condition.

Abstract: There are provided measures for enabling/realizing broadcast session establishment, particularly improved broadcast session establishment within a multicast/broadcast service. Such measures exemplarily comprise that an access management element or function in a mobile communication system issues, in response to a request of broadcast session establishment from a session management element or function, one or more requests of broadcast session establishment operation to one or more radio access elements or functions, issuing a response of broadcast session establishment to the session management element or function, and provides an indication of completion of broadcast session establishment operation at the radio access elements or functions to the session management element or function upon obtaining a response of broadcast session establishment operation from all of the radio access elements or functions.

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.