An embodiment logical function architecture for next-generation 5G wireless networks may include a control plane comprising a software defined topology (SDT) logical entity configured to establish a virtual data-plane logical topology for a service, a software defined resource allocation (SDRA) logical entity configured to map the virtual data-plane topology to a physical data-plane for transporting service-related traffic over the wireless network, and a software defined per-service customized data plane process (SDP) logical entity configured to select transport protocol(s) for transporting the service-related traffic over a physical data-plane of the wireless network. An embodiment virtual service specific serving gateway (v-s-SGW) for next-generation 5G networks may be assigned specifically to a service being provided by a group of wirelessly enabled devices, and may be responsible for aggregating service-related traffic communicated by the group of wirelessly enabled devices.

A User Equipment (UE) processing method and device is provided. The method includes that: a forwarding device receives an indication message for managing a UE sent by a controller; and the forwarding device manages the UE according to the received indication message.

A mobile core network with distributed data services is provided. The mobile core network includes distributed mobile cores associated with mobile data service (MDS) agents at distributed data centers. A central MDS agent is host at a central data center providing legacy mobility management entity (MME) functions. The central MDS agent and the MDS agents at the distributed data centers coordinate with each other for synchronizing context information, such as subscriber data, session context data and metrics data of UEs, so that the context information is available at the central data center and the distributed data centers when or before it is requested.

This application provides example methods, systems, and devices for performing charging on a network resource. One example method includes sending, by a network slice charging function device, a first message to a network slice management function device, where the first message includes an identifier of a network slice instance and filtering information, the filtering information indicates the network slice management function device to send a value that is of a network slice performance indicator of the network slice instance and that matches the filtering information, and the network slice performance indicator describes network performance of the network slice instance. The network slice charging function device can then receive a second message from the network slice management function device, where the second message includes the value. The network slice charging function device can then perform charging on the network slice instance based on the value.

An aspect of the disclosure provides for a method for user equipment (UE) internet protocol (IP) address management. The method includes sending by an application function (AF), a request to a policy control function (PCF), the request including information identifying traffic and an indication that a UE IP address associated with the traffic should be preserved. The method further includes sending by the PCF, to a session management function (SMF) being responsible for managing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session associated with the traffic, a policy and charging control (PCC) rule including the indication. In some embodiments, the request is sent by the AF to the PCF via a network exposure function (NEF). In some embodiments, the method further includes managing, by the SMF, the UE IP address according to the PCC rule. In some embodiments, the managing includes preserving the UE IP address for a PDU session associated with the traffic. In some embodiments, the preserving includes preventing reselection of a protocol data unit (PDU) session anchor (PSA) to which the UE IP address is associated.

Implementation of an application rule for an application to be accessed by a User Equipment, UE, in a user session in a Service Based Architecture, SBA, domain in a core network of a telecommunications system is disclosed. The SBA, among others, comprises a Policy Control Function, PCF (6), an Application Function, AF (5), and a Session Management Function, SMF (9). The method comprising the steps of receiving, by the PCF (6), an application rule comprising an AF Identifier, AF-ID, identifying the application rule, an Application Identifier, App-ID, identifying the application, and at least one service requirement for processing the application in the SBA domain. The PCF (6) instructing the SMF (9) to execute the at least one service requirement to all present and future user sessions pertaining to the respective application. Complementary methods of supporting the execution of the application rule and devices are also presented.

A server of a fifth generation (5G) network can provide substantially real-time charges for a UE during fallback to another network. A Telephony Application Server (TAS) in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) can identify Evolved Packet System Fallback (EPSFB) and report the EPSFB to a charging system to cause the charging system to generate accurate charges for user equipment communicating over the 5G network and the other network. The TAS can comprise logic to identify a change in P-Access-Network-Information associated with each network, and generate a call detail records for billing, or real-time communication via an online charging and/or offline charging for the served UE. Information (a user profile, call detail records, instance of EPSFB, etc.) associated with the TAS can be used to make network improvements that decrease instances of EPSFB and increase an amount of new radio services available to UEs.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus and a system for data connection management. The method for data connection management includes: obtaining, by a user equipment UE, first instruction information, wherein the first instruction information is used for instructing to close or open a data connection; and transmitting, by the UE, the first instruction information to a packet data network gateway P-GW, for enabling the P-GW to stop or start data transmission of at least one bearer of the UE according to the first instruction information.

A technique involves modular storage of network service plan components and provisioning of same. A subset of the capabilities of a service design system can be granted to a sandbox system to enable customization of service plan offerings or other controls.

A method of enabling functionality at a User Plane Function, UPF, by a Session Management Function, SMF, in a telecommunication network. The method includes receiving, by the UPF, a session creation/modification message for creating/modifying a session between the UPF and the SMF, wherein the session creation/modification message includes a session functionality indication for indicating functionality to be enabled for said session, and enabling, by the UPF, the functionality during the session between said UPF and the SMF.