| CPC H04W 76/27 (2018.02) [H04W 68/005 (2013.01); H04W 72/23 (2023.01); H04W 76/19 (2018.02); H04W 76/28 (2018.02)] | 16 Claims |

|
1. A method, comprising:
sending, by a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node of a RAN, a connection suspend command message to a user equipment (UE), wherein the connection suspend command message instructs the UE to suspend a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the UE and the first RAN node by:
causing storage of RRC connection data for the suspended RRC connection, and
causing release of radio resources associated with the suspended RRC connection, wherein user plane communications between the UE and the RAN are disabled until receipt of an RRC connection resume message by a second RAN node of the RAN from the UE, and wherein the RRC connection resume message comprises: an identifier of the first RAN node where the RRC connection was suspended, and a Short Message Authentication Code-Integrity (MAC-I) derived using parameters relating to the first RAN node where the RRC connection was suspended; and
in response to receiving the RRC connection resume message, resuming the user plane communications between the UE and the RAN by resuming the suspended RRC connection.
|