Improvements in and relating to management of disaster condition in a telecommunication network

Abstract

A method of managing a User Equipment (UE) such that, during a disaster condition (DC), it is only provided with service in an area which overlaps with the area of a DC in the Fifth Generation System

Claims

1. A method of operating a User Equipment, UE, such that the UE’s service is confined to 5 5GS during a Disaster Condition, in a defined area, overlapping with an area of the DisasterCondition in the 5GS system, comprising the step of:the UE indicating its support for S1 mode and the network operating to prevent a handover to the UE in S1 mode when the UE which is registered for disaster roaming service.

102. the method of claim 1, wherein if the UE sends a Service Request message, then an AMF of the telecommunication network allows the request, due to it being for emergency services, and allows the UE to use EPS by either executing a handover or an idle mode reselection.

153. The method of claim 2 wherein in order to avoid handover or idle mode reselection, the AMF:stores a local flag or indication that specifies that the UE should not be handed over to EPS or 20 to S1 mode even if the UE supports S1 mode; orindicate to a Radio Access Network, RAN, of the telecommunication network that the UE is not permitted to use EPC; or25 if the UE is accessing the 5GC over NR, and the telecommunication network which is providinginbound disaster roaming service is only allowed to provide service to the UE via NR, then the AMF indicates to the RAN that E-UTRA(N) is a forbidden RAT for the UE.

4. Apparatus arranged to perform the method of any preceding claim.30

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