In accordance with an example embodiment, there is disclosed a method comprising: measuring, by a user equipment, more than one communication beam established at the user equipment in a communication network; acquiring information associated with measurements of more than one communication beam established at the user equipment in the communication network; based on the information, deriving a cell measurement quantity as a function of the performed measurements of more than one communication beam.

A method is disclosed for improved tracking area planning and handling, comprising: assigning a single tracking area code to a plurality of eNodeBs at a messaging concentrator gateway, the messaging concentrator gateway situated in a network between the plurality of eNodeBs and the core network; storing, at the messaging concentrator gateway, at least one indicator of a last known location of a user equipment (UE) other than the single tracking area code; receiving a paging message from the core network at the messaging concentrator gateway for a UE; and performing a paging sequence using the at least one indicator to identify a set of eNodeBs to page the UE, thereby allowing larger tracking area list sizes to be used without increasing signaling traffic between the radio access network and the core network.

A method and a network node (130) for managing a geo-fence for use by a source radio network node (120) are disclosed. The network node (130) receives (A010) indications about signal quality at respective positions of user equipments (110), wherein the user equipments (110) have been subject to hand-overs from the source radio network node (120) at the respective positions, wherein the hand-overs are based on signal quality measured for the user equipments (110). The network node (130) defines (A040) the geo-fence based on the respective positions and the indications about signal quality, wherein the geo-fence defines a geographical area. The network node (130) supports (A050) a hand-over of a user equipment (110) from the source radio network node (120) to a target radio network node (121) while using the geo-fence, wherein the hand-over is performed without measurements, by the user equipment (110), of signal quality towards the target radio network node (121) for the user equipment (110). Moreover, a computer program and carrier therefor are also disclosed.

Embodiments for network virtualization of user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network. A trigger may be received from a user equipment (UE) indicating potential UE mobility away from a remote virtual machine (VM) instance on a host server collocated on an eNodeB in the wireless communication network. One or more identifiers (ID) of one or more potential host servers collocated on one or more alternative eNodeBs may be determined for receiving the UE. VM replication may be provided to the one or more potential host servers to enable continuation of the remote VM instance.

An apparatus comprising at least one processing circuitry, and at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processing circuitry, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least: to acquire connection information including at least one of route information and resource requirement information for at least one communication element in a coverage area of a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of access points allowing the at least one communication element to communicate with the communication network, to process the acquired connection information for determining at least one candidate for a following access point to be connected to by the at least one communication element following to an access point to which the at least one communication element is currently connected, and to use a result of the determination of the at least one candidate for a following access point for optimizing communication settings in the communication network for the at least one communication element moving in the communication network.

A method is disclosed for improved tracking area planning and handling, comprising: assigning a single tracking area code to a plurality of eNodeBs at a messaging concentrator gateway, the messaging concentrator gateway situated in a network between the plurality of eNodeBs and the core network; storing, at the messaging concentrator gateway, at least one indicator of a last known location of a user equipment (UE) other than the single tracking area code; receiving a paging message from the core network at the messaging concentrator gateway for a UE; and performing a paging sequence using the at least one indicator to identify a set of eNodeBs to page the UE, thereby allowing larger tracking area list sizes to be used without increasing signaling traffic between the radio access network and the core network.

Intelligent radio access technology sensing and selection are applied in a dynamic traffic steering network. Network characteristics and network policies are determined. A server sends network characteristics and network policies to user equipment devices. User equipment devices can determine a radio access technology to connect to based on network policies and network characteristics. Further, it can be determined how to select user equipment devices for connection to a radio access network via a radio access technology. User equipment devices can dynamically select a radio access network for connection based on real-time or near real-time radio access network conditions. A self-organizing network can monitor and determine radio access network conditions and the radio access network conditions can be sent to user equipment devices in given cellular broadcast area.

A reception unit receives from a wireless relay device, a handover response indicating possibility of degradation in communication quality during wireless communication with the wireless relay device. A search unit searches whether or not a wireless relay device to which handover can be performed is present other than the wireless relay device. When the wireless relay device to which handover can be performed other than the wireless relay device is present as a result of search by the search unit, a transmission unit transmits a handover request to the wireless relay device found by the search unit.

A network device of a subnet determines predictive roaming information for a wireless client. Predictive roaming information can identify the wireless client and a home network subnet of the wireless client. The network device provides predictive roaming information associated with a wireless client to neighboring subnets. Neighboring subnets store received predictive roaming information, and use the predictive roaming information if the wireless client roams to them.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving video content streams from multiple source mobile devices and identifying that the video content streams pertain to a same event. Additional aspects may include identifying end mobile devices for the video content streams and determining a portion of the end mobile devices are coupled to one communication network and another communication network. Further aspects can include identifying a predicted traffic pattern on the first communication network based on the multiple video content streams pertaining to the same event and that the portion of the multiple end mobile devices are communicatively coupled to the first communication network. Additional aspects may include transmitting a portion of the video content streams across the first communication network and transmitting another portion of the video content streams across the second communication network according to the predicted traffic pattern. Other embodiments are disclosed.