Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to provide sponsored data to a user equipment in a mobile network environment. For example, techniques provided herein may provide for the ability to enhance sponsored data connectivity by enabling a mobile network to facilitate sponsorship of a network slice as part of sponsored data connectivity in which the network slice can provide traffic flow specific Service Level Agreement (SLA) connectivity and treatment. In one example, a method is provided that includes determining, via a first session of a user equipment (UE), that the UE seeks to access content in which financial sponsorship for accessing the content by the UE is to be provided by a sponsoring entity in which the first session involves a first network slice and enabling the UE to establish a second session to access the content in which the second session involves a second network slice.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to provide sponsored data to a user equipment in a mobile network environment. For example, techniques provided herein may provide for the ability to enhance sponsored data connectivity by enabling a mobile network to facilitate sponsorship of a network slice as part of sponsored data connectivity in which the network slice can provide traffic flow specific Service Level Agreement (SLA) connectivity and treatment. In one example, a method is provided that includes determining, via a first session of a user equipment (UE), that the UE seeks to access content in which financial sponsorship for accessing the content by the UE is to be provided by a sponsoring entity in which the first session involves a first network slice and enabling the UE to establish a second session to access the content in which the second session involves a second network slice.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a mobility node (e.g. an SMF) may receive a message which indicates a request for creating a session for a user equipment (UE). A user plane function (UPF) instance for the session may be selected based on a set of parameters. The set of parameters may include one or more location(s) of one or more multi-access edge computing (MEC) resources and applications of interest for the UE. Location data associated with the MEC resources and applications may be determined from server addresses obtained from UPF processing of domain name server (DNS) queries associated with the applications. In preferred implementations, the server addresses are client subnet location-dependent server addresses obtained from client subnet-based DNS queries. The server addresses or location data derived therefrom may be regularly submitted to the SMF for improved UPF selection based on locations of MEC resources and applications.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a mobility node (e.g. an SMF) may receive a message which indicates a request for creating a session for a user equipment (UE). A user plane function (UPF) instance for the session may be selected based on a set of parameters. The set of parameters may include one or more location(s) of one or more multi-access edge computing (MEC) resources and applications of interest for the UE. Location data associated with the MEC resources and applications may be determined from server addresses obtained from UPF processing of domain name server (DNS) queries associated with the applications. In preferred implementations, the server addresses are client subnet location-dependent server addresses obtained from client subnet-based DNS queries. The server addresses or location data derived therefrom may be regularly submitted to the SMF for improved UPF selection based on locations of MEC resources and applications.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a mobility node (e.g. an SMF) may receive a message which indicates a request for creating a session for a user equipment (UE). A user plane function (UPF) instance for the session may be selected based on a set of parameters. The set of parameters may include one or more location(s) of one or more multi-access edge computing (MEC) resources and applications of interest for the UE. Location data associated with the MEC resources and applications may be determined from server addresses obtained from UPF processing of domain name server (DNS) queries associated with the applications. In preferred implementations, the server addresses are client subnet location-dependent server addresses obtained from client subnet-based DNS queries. The server addresses or location data derived therefrom may be regularly submitted to the SMF for improved UPF selection based on locations of MEC resources and applications.

Abstract: In one illustrative example, a mobility node (e.g. an SMF) may receive a message which indicates a request for creating a session for a user equipment (UE). A user plane function (UPF) instance for the session may be selected based on a set of parameters. The set of parameters may include one or more location(s) of one or more multi-access edge computing (MEC) resources and applications of interest for the UE. Location data associated with the MEC resources and applications may be determined from server addresses obtained from UPF processing of domain name server (DNS) queries associated with the applications. In preferred implementations, the server addresses are client subnet location-dependent server addresses obtained from client subnet-based DNS queries. The server addresses or location data derived therefrom may be regularly submitted to the SMF for improved UPF selection based on locations of MEC resources and applications.