Method and apparatus for satellite access in a wireless communication system

1 . A method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying whether a discontinuous coverage for a user equipment (UE) is started;

in case that the discontinuous coverage for the UE is started:

identifying that the UE is out of a coverage associated with non-terrestrial networks due to the discontinuous coverage;

transmitting, to a network entity managing a mobility of the UE, a UE context release request message including a cause value for a release of a connection of the UE, wherein the cause value indicates that the release is due to the discontinuous coverage; and

transmitting, to the UE, a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and

in case that the discontinuous coverage is not started:

identifying whether a minimum time for completing an RRC procedure exists before a start of the discontinuous coverage;

rejecting the RRC procedure in case that the minimum time does not exist; and

transmitting, to the network entity, an RRC message for the RRC procedure in case that the minimum time exists.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the base station is an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network Node B (eNB) and the network entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in case that the discontinuous coverage is not started, identifying whether a minimum time for transmitting a non-access stratum (NAS) message exists before the start of the discontinuous coverage;

discarding the NAS message in case that the minimum time for transmitting the NAS message does not exist; and

transmitting, to the network entity, the NAS message in case that the minimum time for transmitting the NAS message exists.

4 . A base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising:

at least one transceiver;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one transceiver; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, storing instructions executable by the at least one processor individually or in any combination to cause the base station to:

identify whether a discontinuous coverage for a user equipment (UE) is started,

in case that the discontinuous coverage for the UE is started:

identify that the UE is out of a coverage associated with non-terrestrial networks due to the discontinuous coverage,

transmit, to a network entity managing a mobility of the UE, a UE context release request message including a cause value for a release of a connection of the UE, wherein the cause value indicates that the release is due to the discontinuous coverage, and

transmit, to the UE, a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and

in case that the discontinuous coverage is not started:

identify whether a minimum time for completing an RRC procedure exists before a start of the discontinuous coverage,

reject the RRC procedure in case that the minimum time does not exist, and

transmit, to the network entity, an RRC message for the RRC procedure in case that the minimum time exists.

5 . The base station of claim 4 ,

wherein the base station is an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network Node B (eNB) and the network entity is a mobility management entity (MME).

6 . The base station of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the base station to:

in case that the discontinuous coverage is not started, identify whether a minimum time for transmitting a non-access stratum (NAS) message exists before the start of the discontinuous coverage,

discard the NAS message in case that the minimum time for transmitting the NAS message does not exist, and

transmit, to the network entity, the NAS message in case that the minimum time for transmitting the NAS message exists.