A satellite network comprises networks nodes including multiple satellites, multiple gateways, additional servers and a mobile vehicle (e.g., an aircraft). All of (or a subset) of the network nodes include switches. The network implements a software defined network that includes a mobility manager as part of the management plane, a network controller as part of the control plane, and the switches on the network nodes as the data plane. In one embodiment, the switches communicate using an Open Flow communications protocol and make routing decisions based on flow tables. The mobility manager communicates with, and manages, the switches via the network controller. The mobility manager proactively generate updates to flow tables based on satellite ephemeris data for the multiple satellites and itinerary data for the aircraft, and pushes the updates to the switches in response to determining that the aircraft needs to be handed off between satellites.

A network node of a terrestrial cellular system provides telecommunications service to a user equipment (UE) in an airborne aircraft. Navigation information transmitted from the aircraft is periodically acquired, including aircraft identity, position, altitude, and a time of determining aircraft position. A link is maintained between the network node and the UE by transmitting beam steered, Doppler shift compensated downlink signals, and by performing beam steered reception of uplink signals. Beam steering is directed toward the aircraft based on the navigation information. Doppler shift compensation is adapted to compensate for a Doppler shift such that the UE experiences a nominal carrier frequency when receiving transmissions from the antenna nodes. Handover from a first to a second coverage area includes using a same cell identifier and a same frequency allocation in the second coverage area as are used in the first.

In some examples, a method in a core network communicatively connected with a first radio access network (RAN) comprising a first network element, and a second RAN comprising a second network element, includes receiving a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) message via the second network element from a User Equipment (UE), where the UE has, with the first network element, a selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) PDN connection. The mobility management node detects that the UE is connected to the second network element that is different from the first network element that has a first identifying characteristic, where the detecting comprises determining that the first NAS message is received with a second identifying characteristic of the second network element different from the first identifying characteristic associated with the SIPTO PDN connection.

A network node in a cellular telecommunications system hands over responsibility for serving a wireless communication equipment from a serving cell to a target cell, wherein the wireless communication equipment is situated in a first aircraft that is in-flight. An aircraft position, an aircraft velocity, and an aircraft direction are determined. For each candidate cell of a number of candidate cells, a level of beam distortion that would result from a beam directed from the candidate cell to the first aircraft is predicted. The target cell is selected from the candidate cells by identifying which of the candidate cells has a least amount of predicted beam distortion. The target cell is then signaled to prepare for a handover of responsibility for serving the wireless communication equipment.

In some examples, a method in a core network communicatively connected with a first radio access network (RAN) comprising a first network element, and a second RAN comprising a second network element, includes receiving a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) message via the second network element from a User Equipment (UE), where the UE has, with the first network element, a selected IP traffic offload (SIPTO) PDN connection. The mobility management node detects that the UE is connected to the second network element that is different from the first network element that has a first identifying characteristic, where the detecting comprises determining that the first NAS message is received with a second identifying characteristic of the second network element different from the first identifying characteristic associated with the SIPTO PDN connection.

Altitude based device management is provided herein. A method can comprise transmitting, by a mobile device comprising a processor, a signaling message to a network device of a wireless network. The signaling message can comprise first data indicating a device type of the mobile device and second data indicating a distance measurement of the mobile device with respect to a reference point. The method can also comprise implementing, by the mobile device, a first instruction related to a power setting and a second instruction related to an operating parameter. The first instruction and the second instruction can be received from the network device and can be based on the device type of the mobile device and the distance measurement of the mobile device.

Disclosed is a method performed by an airborne base station (155) arranged at an aircraft (160) and providing radio coverage to a wireless device (150) residing in the aircraft (160). The method comprises obtaining altitude information indicating at least one of the present altitude of the aircraft (160) and an altitude rate of change of the aircraft (160), and handling a connection of the wireless device (150) to the airborne base station (155) based on the obtained altitude information.

A method and apparatus for receiving a broadcast configuration indicating when a change in a RAN function termination occurs is provided, for example, by a timer value. The broadcast configuration may be received from a satellite, blimp or other moving transmitter. A dedicated configuration may also be received from the serving cell. The dedicated configuration may include a preamble, a transient configuration and an indication of a layer 2 behavior. If a WTRU detects a change in RAN function termination, the WTRU may suspend any uplink data transmissions, apply the transient configuration and transmit the preamble to a target cell. The WTRU may synchronize with the target cell and apply the layer 2 behavior.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining measurements reports of a group of target base stations. Each measurement report includes a target height threshold of a target base station from the group of target base stations. Further embodiments can include receiving a notification that an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communicatively coupled to a serving base station has exceeded a serving height threshold of the serving base station, selecting a first target base station from the group of target base stations based on a first target height threshold of the first target base station, and providing instructions to the serving base station to perform a handover of the UAV from the serving base station to the target base station based on the selection. The serving base station performs the handover of the UAV to the target base station based on the instructions. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, providing instructions to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), via a serving base station, to collect target height thresholds of target base stations. The UAV receives the target height thresholds from the target base stations, and transmits the target height thresholds to a network device, via the serving base station. Further embodiments can include determining a current height of the UAV exceeds a serving height threshold of the serving base station, selecting a first target base station from the target base stations based on the determination and a first target height threshold of the group of target height thresholds of the first target base station, and providing instructions to the serving base station to perform handover of the UAV from the serving base station to the first target base station based on the selection. Other embodiments are disclosed.