Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for asynchronously initiating online charging triggers in mobile networks are described. A control plane gateway or “GW-C” may obtain from a mobility management entity (MME) a create session request associated with an attach request for a user equipment (UE). The GW-C may send to an online charging system (OCS) a Gy credit-control request for requesting a quota of units (e.g. a resource usage quota) associated with a subscriber of the UE. Prior to sending the Gy credit-control request or obtaining a Gy credit-control answer, the GW-C may send to the MME a create session response which prompts an attach accept or reject of the attach request. The Gy credit-control request may be sent to the OCS during an attach procedure associated with the attach request for the UE or, alternatively, in response to receiving a user data packet of the session as a notification.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to inform a mobile packet core of the access network/radio access technology (AN/RAT) change with the use of in-band signaling along the user plane and hence reduce signaling between radio access network and mobile packet core network. A new extension header content is defined to signal the AN/RAT change information, Cell Group changes and acknowledging the same. Further still, a method is provided to handle AN change notification for split bearer scenarios by introducing a split bearer flag for the mobile packet core to be notified of the predominant access type serving the subscriber data session in 5G Non-Stand Alone (NSA) Option-3, Option-3A and Option-3X, so that static or dynamic configurations can be applied by the mobile core network accordingly.

Abstract: Presented herein are efficient techniques through which a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) may retrieve information for a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to support graceful mobility for various inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) mobility scenarios. In one example, a method includes determining, by an AMF, an inter-RAT mobility event for a user equipment; identifying, by the AMF, an MME associated with the inter-RAT mobility event based, at least in part, on MME information contained in a network database; and transferring context information for the user equipment between the AMF and the MME. In one instance, the network database may be a Network Repository Function (NRF) for a 3GPP Fifth Generation mobile network and the MME information may be associated with an MME network function type stored in the NRF.

Abstract: Presented herein are efficient techniques through which a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) may retrieve information for a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to support graceful mobility for various inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) mobility scenarios. In one example, a method includes determining, by an AMF, an inter-RAT mobility event for a user equipment; identifying, by the AMF, an MME associated with the inter-RAT mobility event based, at least in part, on MME information contained in a network database; and transferring context information for the user equipment between the AMF and the MME. In one instance, the network database may be a Network Repository Function (NRF) for a 3GPP Fifth Generation mobile network and the MME information may be associated with an MME network function type stored in the NRF.