A method includes: receiving, by a network element selector, a first message from a first external network element, where the first message carries a first session index, and the first session index is used to identify UE served by the first external network element; and sending, by the network element selector, the first message to a first converged controller based on mapping information corresponding to the UE and the first session index in the first message, where the mapping information includes a mapping relationship between the first converged controller and a plurality of different session indexes of the UE, and the plurality of different session indexes of the UE include the first session index. It can be learned that the network element selector sends, based on the mapping information corresponding to the UE, all messages of different external network elements serving the UE to a same converged controller.

Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

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.

A communication system capable of dynamically changing an MME to serve in call processing in accordance with the load condition of the MMEs and the like is provided. A communication system of the present invention includes: communication control apparatuses (10) to (12); and a node apparatus (20) that executes call processing relating to a communication terminal with the communication control apparatuses (10) to (12). The communication control apparatuses (10) to (12) form a context sharing group that shares subscriber data of the communication terminal. The node apparatus (20) selects a first communication control apparatus in the context sharing group, and transmits a call processing message to the first communication control apparatus. The first communication control apparatus executes the call processing using the subscriber data shared in the context sharing group.

Methods to support User Plane Separation (UPS) and User Plane Local offloading (UPL) for Fifth Generation (5G) non-Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access are provided, including solutions for untrusted non-3GPP, trusted non-3GPP, and fixed/wireline communications via a Non-3GPP interworking Function (N3IWF) node. Three UPS solutions methods are provided, as well as UPL solution methods for 5G non-3GPP access involving N3IWFs with or without separated Control Plane (CP) and User Plane (UP) that are combined with a User Plane Function (UPF). Solutions to allow multiple CP entities to control the same single UP entity are also provided.

Embodiments of this application provide a connection re-establishment method, a device, and a system, to re-establish a connection of a terminal to a specified network device. The connection re-establishment method includes a source network device that determines that a connection of a terminal is to be released. The source network device obtains information about a target network device, and the source network device sends the information about the target network device, where the information about the target network device is used to re-establish the connection to the target network device.

A method for rules-based overload control for 5G services includes configuring, at an intermediate or a producer network function (NF), overload message handing rules, wherein at least some of the rules include destination network name (DNN), network subscription, network location, or a network slice identifying parameter or any parameter/attribute defined by 3GPP/vendor as rule selection criteria. The method includes a guaranteed processing bandwidth of the intermediate or producer NF with at least some of the overload message handling rules, receiving a first message at the intermediate or producer NF, determining that an overload condition exists, identifying that the first message includes parameters that match the rule selection criteria for one of the overload message handling rules, determining, that a portion of the guaranteed processing bandwidth of the intermediate or producer NF for the matching overload message handling rule is available to process the first message, processing the first message, and updating a message count for the overload message handling rule.

A mobility management node (e.g., MME) for selecting a network access gateway node (e.g., PGW) when establishing a PDN connection for a radio terminal to a PDN identified by an APN, which mobility management node is configured to operatively manage the mobility for the radio terminal and which access gateway node is configured to operatively act as a network access gateway to the PDN so as to provide connectivity for the radio terminal to the PDN.

A system, method, node and computer program for allocating a user equipment, UE, (30) roaming in a visited network (10), to a dedicated core network, DCN, (120) out of a plurality of DCN (120) available in the visited network (10), is provided. The method comprises receiving a trigger comprising a DCN-type indicator from a home network (20) of the roaming UE (30), and determining, responsive to the reception of the DCN-type indicator, whether an DCN-type indicated by the received DCN-type indicator is supported by the visited network (10). The method further comprises determining, if the DCN-type is not supported by the visited network (10), an alternative DCN-type supported by the visited network (10) and allocating, by the visited network (10), the roaming UE (30) to a DCN (120) of the alternative DCN-type.

A system, method, node and computer program for allocating a user equipment, UE, (30) roaming in a visited network (10), to a dedicated core network, DCN, (120) out of a plurality of DCN (120) available in the visited network (10), is provided. The method comprises receiving a trigger comprising a DCN-type indicator from a home network (20) of the roaming UE (30), and determining, responsive to the reception of the DCN-type indicator, whether an DCN-type indicated by the received DCN-type indicator is supported by the visited network (10). The method further comprises determining, if the DCN-type is not supported by the visited network (10), an alternative DCN-type supported by the visited network (10) and allocating, by the visited network (10), the roaming UE (30) to a DCN (120) of the alternative DCN-type.