A method of performed by a digital unit (DU) in a wireless communication system includes transmitting, to a radio unit (RU), a configuration message on a management plane, and receiving, from the RU, a plurality of user plane messages based on the configuration message, and the configuration message is used to configure a transmission order of the plurality of user plane messages, and the plurality of user plane messages correspond to a plurality of extended antenna-carriers (eAxCs).

A method includes generating a payload container information element comprising two or more payload entries at user equipment in a communication system, and sending the payload container information element from the user equipment to at least one network element in the communication system. Another method includes receiving a payload container information element comprising two or more payload entries at a network function in a communication system from user equipment in the communication system, and decoding the two or more payload entries of the payload container information element into two or more individual payloads at the network function.

This application discloses a session management method, a network device, and a communications system. According to embodiments of the present invention, an intermediate session management entity is selected based on UE location information and PDU session requirement information. In this way, an intermediate session management entity near UE can provide a service for a PDU session, and a delay of data transmission is reduced. In addition, the intermediate session management entity selects a user plane entity based on the UE location information and the PDU requirement information, and the intermediate session management entity is responsible for managing user plane entities within a specified area, and does not need to manage user plane entities in the entire PDU session, thereby reducing management complexity.

A method for utilizing quality of service information in a network with tunneled backhaul is disclosed, comprising: establishing a backhaul bearer at a base station with a first core network, the backhaul bearer established by a backhaul user equipment (UE) at the base station, the backhaul bearer having a single priority parameter, the backhaul bearer terminating at a first packet data network gateway in the first core network; establishing an encrypted internet protocol (IP) tunnel between the base station and a coordinating gateway in communication with the first core network and a second core network; facilitating, for at least one UE attached at the base station, establishment of a plurality of UE data bearers encapsulated in the secure IP tunnel, each with their own QCI; and transmitting prioritized data of the plurality of UE data bearers via the backhaul bearer and the coordinating gateway to the second core network.

A method for utilizing quality of service information in a network with tunneled backhaul is disclosed, comprising: establishing a backhaul bearer at a base station with a first core network, the backhaul bearer established by a backhaul user equipment (UE) at the base station, the backhaul bearer having a single priority parameter, the backhaul bearer terminating at a first packet data network gateway in the first core network; establishing an encrypted internet protocol (IP) tunnel between the base station and a coordinating gateway in communication with the first core network and a second core network; facilitating, for at least one UE attached at the base station, establishment of a plurality of UE data bearers encapsulated in the secure IP tunnel, each with their own QCI; and transmitting prioritized data of the plurality of UE data bearers via the backhaul bearer and the coordinating gateway to the second core network.

In some implementations, a first network device may be associated with a serving gateway control plane function of a core network. The first network device may send, via a first interface, an association message to a second network device that is associated with a session management function and a packet data gateway control plane function of the core network. The first network device may receive selection information from the second network device via the first interface. The first network device may select, based on the selection information, a third network device that is associated with a serving gateway user plane function of the core network. The first network device may cause the third network device to route traffic for a packet data network session associated with a user device.

A multicast communication method and a communication apparatus provide for transmission of data of a multicast service using a PDU session established by a terminal device to improve network element utilization. An AF network element sends first multicast service indication information to a session management network element indicating a first multicast service. The session management network element sends, based on the first multicast service indication information, multicast service information to an access network device that serves a terminal device. The access network device establishes an association relationship between the terminal device and the first multicast service based on the multicast service information, so that the access network device can send, when receiving data of the first multicast service, the data of the first multicast service to the terminal device using a PDU session.

A session management function (SMF) receives, from an access and mobility management function (AMF), a first request to establish a first session for a wireless device. The first request comprises a cellular internet-of-things (IoT) optimization indication for transfer of data of cellular IoT over a control plane. A second request to establish a second session between the SMF and the UPF is sent to a user plane function (UPF). The data for cellular IoT is received from the UPF via the second session. The data is sent to the AMF via the first session.

This application discloses a communications system, a communication method, and an apparatus thereof. The system includes: a multicast session management network element, an access and mobility management network element and a user plane function network element. The multicast session management network element sends a first multicast session request carrying a multicast session context to the access and mobility management network element to request to establish a multicast session based on the multicast session context; and sends a second multicast session request to the user plane function network element, where the second multicast session request carries user plane forwarding-related information indicating a user plane forwarding rule of the multicast session. The access and mobility management network element sends the first multicast session request to an access network node. The user plane function network element sets, based on the user plane forwarding-related information, the user plane forwarding rule of the multicast session.

Introduced here are visibility platforms able to process the traffic handled by the gateways of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) with Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS). A visibility platform can include a control processing node (CPN) and one or more user processing nodes (UPNs). The visibility platform may populate a data structure in which the CPN and UPNs are associated with locations along an interface on which Sx/N4 traffic is exchanged between the control and user planes. Each location may be representative of the point on the Sx/N4 interface at which Sx/N4 traffic processed by the corresponding node is acquired. The CPN can use the data structure to program session flows that impact how user traffic is handled by the UPNs.