Embodiments of this application provide an information transmission method, a network element selector, and a controller. The information transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application includes: receiving, by an NES from an external network element, a first message including identification information of UE; determining, based on the identification information of the UE, a user group to which the UE belongs; determining a controller corresponding to the user group; and then sending the first message to the controller.

A method for policing APN-AMBR includes, at P-GW including plural P-GW DP worker instances: receiving, uplink data to be transmitted over a non-GBR bearer associated with a first PDN session from a first UE via an AP or downlink data to be transmitted over the non-GBR bearer to the first UE via the AP; forwarding the uplink or downlink data to a first P-GW DP worker instance of the plurality of P-GW DP worker instances that is assigned to the PDN session; and, at the first P-GW DP worker instance, transmitting, to an APN-AMBR policer separate from the P-GW, a request for a slice of APN-AMBR capacity for processing the uplink or downlink data. The method further includes, at the APN-AMBR policer: maintaining records of APN-AMBR capacity used by UEs having PDN sessions assigned to different ones of the P-GW DP worker instances; and granting or denying the request based on the APN-AMBR capacity used by the PDN sessions assigned to the different ones of the P-GW DP worker instances.

A communication method is performed at an electronic device that includes a first network function (NF) entity. The first NF entity indirectly communicates with a second NF entity using a first service communication proxy (SCP) network element. In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the first SCP network element fails, the first NF entity detects a second SCP network and performs indirect communication with the second NF entity using the second SCP network element. In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that the first SCP network element fails, the first NF entity directly communicates with the second NF entity. In this way, the first NF entity and the second NF entity can continue communication, thus ensuring the continuity and the reliability and availability of a communication system.

Automated offloading of subscribers in a system having a set of mobility management entities (MMEs) during mobility management equipment failures is provided. Each MME maintains performance status and location information about all MMEs. When an MME senses performance degradation the traffic directed to that MME is allocated among the remaining MMEs in the set.

A communication method and an apparatus are provided herein. The method includes: sending, by a mobility management entity (MME), a track area update (TAU) accept message to a user equipment (UE), the TAU accept message comprising an identifier constructed from at least a resource pool identifier (pool-ID) that identifies a resource pool in a public land mobile network (PLMN), a mobility management entity identifier (MME-ID) that uniquely identifies the MME within the resource pool, and a UE temporary identifier that uniquely identifies the UE within the MME; and receiving, by the MME, a TAU complete message from the UE.

A method performed by a communications device, the method comprising allocating a fraction of the data for transmitting to a first infrastructure equipment using a first carrier frequency, allocating a remainder of the data for transmitting to a second infrastructure equipment using a second carrier frequency, transmitting the fraction of data using the first carrier frequency and the remainder of data using the second carrier frequency, determining an attribute associated with communicating the data from the communications device to the first infrastructure equipment using the first carrier frequency based upon signals received from the first infrastructure equipment, modifying the fraction based on at least the determined attribute, and transmitting the data using at least one of the first and second carrier frequencies according to the modified fraction.

Systems and methods for performing User Plane (UP) path selection or reselection over a communications network with a 3.sup.rd party entity, and for notifying network entities of UP changes in a communications network, are disclosed. The method includes: receiving an application program interface based request for UP path selection from the 3.sup.rd party entity; performing a validation and authorization procedure with the request; transmitting a UP path selection configuration request to a Control Plane Function that maintains configuration data; obtaining a reference number confirming the UP path selection configuration request; and installing the UP path selection according to the reference number.

According to certain embodiments, a method for use in a network node comprises receiving a request to connect a session of a wireless device. The wireless device is located in a service area of a Local Area Data Network (LADN) and a subscription associated with the wireless device permits access to the LADN. The method further comprises determining whether to select the LADN for the session. The determining is based on one or more factors associated with the LADN. The one or more factors comprise at least one of the following: loading conditions, service quality, historic data, and subscriber priority. The method further comprises sending, to another network node, a message indicating whether the LADN has been selected for the session.

The present disclosure provides systems for instantiating and terminating a MME VNF. The MME VNF is instantiated and/or terminated using an EM, a NM, a VNFM, a VIM, a NFVO and/or a catalog. Instantiating an MME VNF includes on-boarding the VNF package, creating a managed element, executing the enabled VNF package, instantiating the MME VNF instance, creating the MME function and modifying the MME pool to add the MME VNF instance. Terminating the MME VNF includes decommissioning the MME VNF services, modifying the MME pool to remove the MME VNF from the MME pool, and terminating the MME VNF instance.

There is provided a method for an apparatus for a network function, the apparatus for the network function, and a computer program for the apparatus, that causes the apparatus to: receive an indication that a first user equipment and/or a first user plane function configured to transmit first user traffic is associated with a first replication handling function, the first replication handling function being configurable to coordinate at least one replication-based redundancy mechanism performed on at least part of said first user traffic; determine a first set of replication rules for use by the first replication handling function determining when the at least one replication-based redundancy mechanism is performed on at least part of said first user traffic; and cause the first set of replication rules to be provided to the first replication handling function.