Access and Mobility Management Function for 5G Neutral Host Network Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is an urgent need for enabling terminal devices to access 5G communications networks through neutral host networks (NHNs), as current network architectures lack effective methods for seamless interaction between 5G and NHN architectures.
Innovation Solution
A communications method and apparatus that allows a terminal device to access a 5G network by exchanging Non-Access Stratum (NAS) parameters through access and mobility management function network elements in both the NHN and 5G networks, enabling secure communication and authentication processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a terminal device directly accesses a 5G communications network, then access speed and network performance are improved, but network architecture complexity and security management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a neutral host network (NHN) as an intermediary layer between terminal devices and the 5G core network. The NHN includes access and mobility management function elements that act as mediators, receiving access requests from terminals and forwarding them to the 5G network. This intermediary structure allows terminals to access 5G services through the NHN without directly connecting to the complex 5G core network, thus maintaining access speed while reducing architectural complexity and security management burden on the terminal side.
2Reliability
If network security protection is enhanced, then communication security is improved, but message exchange complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security management into two distinct layers: NHN-level security and 5G core network-level security. The NHN implements its own security protection for messages between terminals and the NHN, while the 5G core network implements separate security protection for messages between the NHN and the core network. This segmentation allows each layer to independently manage security without interfering with the other, maintaining high security standards while reducing the complexity burden on individual components. Terminals only need to handle NHN-level security, while the NHN handles 5G-level security transparently.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a communications method and an apparatus. The communications method includes: receiving, by a first access and mobility management function network element in a first communications network, a first message from a terminal device, where the first message includes a non-access stratum NAS parameter used by the terminal device to access a second communications network; and sending, by the first access and mobility management function network element, a second message to a second access and mobility management function network element in the second communications network, where the second message includes the NAS parameter. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can access the second communications network through the first access and mobility management function network element in the first communications based on the NAS parameter.