Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for congestion management and service continuity. In some example embodiment, there may be provided a method comprising sending, by a user equipment, an indication of whether the user equipment supports an automatic re-mapping of a network slice to a fallback network slice; and receiving, by the user equipment, an acknowledgment from a network in response to the sent indication. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a computer program, method and apparatus for an application function that causes the application function to: signal, to a first network function, a first request to be notified of at least one change in first user plane functions associated with a first virtual network, the first virtual network comprising the first user plane functions and a first interface interfacing the first user plane functions with a first data network; receive, from the first network function, a first indication that said at least one change has occurred; and configure connectivity with at least one interface to the first virtual network in dependence on the at least one change indicated in the said first indication.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for providing a first registration request from a user equipment to a first visited network for a first network slice provided by the first visited network and providing a further registration request from the user equipment to at least one second visited network for at least one second network slice provided by the second visited network, wherein the first network slice and at least one second network slice are mapped to subscribed network slices in a home network and the at least one second network slice is not provided by the first visited network.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software of performing an Authentication and Key Management for Applications (AKMA) authentication service. In one embodiment, an AKMA element (1200) handles an enriched AKMA Key Identifier (A-KID) (800) having an identifier format with a username (802) and a realm (804) separated by an @-symbol (806). The username includes a Routing Indicator (RID) (812), an AKMA Temporary UE Identifier (A-TID) (814), and at least one supplemental character (810) that distinguishes the RID from the A-TID in the username The AKMA element performs a function of the AKMA authentication service based on the enriched A-KID.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described that support access to multiple mutually exclusive, isolated, and/or disjointed network slices by User Equipment, UE, across one or more networks. The UE connects (1102) to multiple network slices via a Radio Access Network, RAN, by way of one or more Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections. The RRC connections are maintained (1104) between the UE and a respective network slice by switching the connection to inactive or idle when another RRC connection needs to be established. The UE and/or the RAN switches (1106) an RRC connection from an inactive state to an active state based on a trigger condition such as receipt of a notification that downlink data is available over the inactive RRC connection. A Unified Data Management Function, UDM, stores and updates registration state information for the UE and multiple Access and Mobility Management Functions, AMFs.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus comprising means for at a user equipment registered with a first network and a second network, accessing the second network and receiving at the user equipment from the second network a downlink data notification associated with the first network.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising determining, by a first access and mobility management function in a first network, that handover of a user equipment from the first access and mobility management function to a second access and mobility management function in a second network is required; sending, to the second access and mobility management function, a context update request for the user equipment, wherein the context update request comprises an indication that the source and target access node are the same; and receiving, from the second access and mobility management function, a context update response based on the context update request, the context update response comprising the indication that the source and target access node are the same.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine (1100) that an aggregate bit rate for a network slice reached a threshold value; and adjust (1102) at least one of a maximum bit rate per terminal for the network slice or a maximum number of terminals allowed to operate on the network slice.

Abstract: It is provided a method comprising: checking whether a maximum data rate for a subscriber for a network slice is received; monitoring, if the maximum data rate for the subscriber for the network slice is received, whether a hypothetical total data rate of all flows of the subscriber for the network slice would exceed the maximum data rate for the subscriber for the network slice if a grant to transmit data were provided for the subscriber for packets belonging to the network slice; inhibiting providing the grant for the subscriber if the hypothetical total data rate of all flows of the subscriber for the network slice exceeded the maximum data rate of the network slice if the grant were provided.

Abstract: An apparatus in a communications device supporting a plurality of different identities, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine at least one paging overlap occasion for networks associated with the different identities; communicate the at least one paging overlap occasion determination to one of the networks associated with one of the different identities within a registration request to the one of the networks, wherein the one of the networks is caused to schedule at least one paging message to the apparatus based on the at least one paging overlap occasion determination such that the at least one paging message is scheduled at a time other than the at least one paging overlap occasion determination; and control a reception of the at least one paging message for the one of the networks such that the appara

Abstract: A technique comprising: broadcasting, from a user equipment device having user equipment functionality in a mobile communication system, a message announcing to receiving devices a gateway service for transfer of data to and/or from a radio access network of the mobile communication system via the user equipment device.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus comprising means for receiving, at an analytics function from a first network function, a request for one or more timer adjustments for at least one timer associated with one or more network functions; obtaining, by the analytics function from one or more further network functions, one or more input parameters relating to network behaviour; and sending, from the analytics function to the first network function, an output comprising one or more timer adjustments for the at least one timer, wherein the output is based on the obtained one or more input parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for event alerting using a communications system are disclosed. An example comprises receiving a first message over a communications network from a first communications device, the message relating to an emergency event, and determining the geographic location of the first communications device. Transmission of an alert message is caused to one or more second communications devices within a first area based on the determined location, the alert message providing an indication of the emergency event and prompting feedback by means of the second communications devices relating to the emergency event. One or more feedback messages may be received relating to the emergency event from one or more of the second communications devices.

Abstract: The present subject matter relates to a method comprising performing, by a user equipment, a first registration at a registration node via a first network access; performing, by the user equipment, a second registration at the registration node via a second network access. In response to determining that the user equipment is not connected to the registration node via the first network access, an update of the first registration with the registration node may be triggered, by the user equipment, dependent upon the user equipment being connected to the registration node via the second network access.

Abstract: The present subject matter relates to a method comprising performing, by a user equipment, a first registration at a registration node via a first network access; performing, by the user equipment, a second registration at the registration node via a second network access. In response to determining that the user equipment is not connected to the registration node via the first network access, an update of the first registration with the registration node may be triggered, by the user equipment, dependent upon the user equipment being connected to the registration node via the second network access.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from improved radio access network paging procedures. For example, it may be helpful to enhance radio access network paging procedures for a user equipment in a radio resource control inactive mode. According to certain embodiments a method may include receiving a setup request at a network entity. The setup request may comprise a supported radio access network based notification area for a user equipment movement in a radio resource control inactive mode. The method may also include transmitting a radio access network paging message from the network entity to a neighboring network entity supporting a configured network slice within the supported radio access network based notification area. The method may further include paging for the user equipment in a radio resource control inactive mode in cells included in the radio access network based notification area that support the configured network slice for the user equipment.