A home network serves a wireless service to visiting User Equipment (UEs) affiliated with visited networks and authorizes the wireless service for home UEs that are visiting the visited networks. A gateway transfers home context to a distributed ledger and receives visited context from the distributed ledger. The gateway transfers the visited context to a controller. The controller exchanges authorization data with the visited networks based on the visited context and the home context. The controller authorizes the wireless data service for the home UEs and the visiting UEs responsive to the exchange of the authorization data. The controller transfers session signaling to wireless access nodes responsive to the authorization of the wireless data service for the visiting UEs. The controller transfers authorization signaling to the visited networks responsive to the authorization of the wireless service for the home UEs.

The invention provides for a method of selecting a Dedicated Core Network (DCN) based on assisting indication by mobile terminals, and including the step of configuring the RAN Nodes of the mobile network with the DCN Types of the serving EPC Nodes so that the RAN Nodes can map the DCN selection assisting information from the connecting mobile terminals with the right dedicated EPC Node. This allows for the RAN Node to connect the mobile terminals with EPC Node of the mobile terminal's dedication at initial attach and then keep the mobile terminals on the same DCN. Thus, a re-routing of mobile terminals NAS message from one EPC Node to another EPC node is avoided. The invention also allows for a flexible and dynamic change of the EPC Nodes dedication based on operator's configuration and policy. Additionally, the invention allows for DCN access restriction control by broadcasting of the supported DCN Types by the RAN Node.

One embodiment of the present specification can provide a method for performing a protocol data unit (PDU) session-related procedure. The method can comprise the steps of: transmitting, to a session management function (SMF) device, a PDU session-related message including a first indication related to communication through a PC5 link; and receiving a response message from the SMF device. The response message can include: a first quality of service (QoS) rule to be used on a Uu link; a second QoS rule to be used on a PC5 link; and a path selection rule about whether data should be transmitted through the Uu link or the PC5 link.

A first access and mobility management function (AMF) in a network receives, from user equipment (UE), a registration request listing a first network slice and a second network slice. Upon determining that the first AMF supports the first, but not the second, network slice, the first AMF causes selection of (i) the first AMF as a session and mobility management (SM)-AMF to perform mobility management, and first session management signaling for the first network slice; and (ii) a second AMF as a session management only (SO)-AMF to perform only second session management signaling for the second network slice. The first AMF, acting as SM-AMF, performs the first session management signaling for a first data session on the first network slice, while the second AMF, acting as SO-AMF, performs only the second session management signaling for a second data session on the second network slice.

Systems and methods for managing a network are disclosed. One method can comprise detecting a triggering event at a node. Location information of the node can be transmitted to a routing device in response to the triggering event. Location information of the node can be transmitted to a management device. The management device can be configured to control an operation of one or more of the node and the routing device in response to the location information.

Systems and methods for managing a network are disclosed. One method can comprise detecting a triggering event at a node. Location information of the node can be transmitted to a routing device in response to the triggering event. Location information of the node can be transmitted to a management device. The management device can be configured to control an operation of one or more of the node and the routing device in response to the location information.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for handling slice information for a roaming user equipment (UE). In some cases, the UE may send, to a network entity, a request with an information element (IE) indicating one or more protocol data unit (PDU) sessions to be transferred from a source network to a target network. After receiving, from the network entity, a response with an IE identifying one or more of the PDU sessions allowed to be transferred to the target network and indicating slice information applicable in the target network for the one or more PDU sessions allowed to be transferred, the UE may update slice information for each of the PDU sessions allowed to be transferred based on the IE in the response.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for handling slice information for a roaming user equipment (UE). In some cases, the UE may send, to a network entity, a request with an information element (IE) indicating one or more protocol data unit (PDU) sessions to be transferred from a source network to a target network. After receiving, from the network entity, a response with an IE identifying one or more of the PDU sessions allowed to be transferred to the target network and indicating slice information applicable in the target network for the one or more PDU sessions allowed to be transferred, the UE may update slice information for each of the PDU sessions allowed to be transferred based on the IE in the response.

A wireless communication network enforces a user policy for a User Equipment (UE) and directs another wireless communication network to enforce another user policy for another UE. In the wireless communication network, an Application Function (AF) receives the user policy from another AF in the other wireless communication network and transfers the user policy to the PCF. The PCF distributes the user policy to a Network Function (NF). The NF enforces the user policy. The PCF identifies the other user policy for the other UE and transfers the other user policy to the AF. The AF responsively transfers the other user policy to the other AF. The other AF transfers the other user policy to another PCF in the other wireless communication network. The other PCF distributes the other user policy to another NF in the other wireless communication network which enforces the other user policy.

This application provides example network slicing-based communication methods and apparatuses. One example method includes receiving, by a radio access network device, a registration request from user equipment, where the registration request includes first information and second information, where the first information is used to indicate a type of a first network slice, and where the second information is used to identify a first network slice instance in the first network slice. The radio access network device can then determine an access and mobility management function network element based on the type of the first network slice and the first network slice instance. The radio access network device can then send the registration request to the access and mobility management function network element, where the first information and the second information are used for network slice instance determining.