Initial network access for a wireless communication device

1 . A method of enabling initial network access for a group of wireless communications devices to a wireless network, performed by a second wireless communication device, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of requests for assisted connection initialization, wherein:

the requests are obtained from the group of wireless communications devices; and

the group of wireless communications devices comprises a first wireless communication device and at least one further wireless communication device;

sending, to a network entity of the wireless network, a single connection initialization request for connection initialization of the group;

obtaining, from the network entity in one or more responses to the single connection initialization request, a network configuration for each of the wireless communications devices in the group; and

providing, to each of the wireless communications devices in the group, connection parameters based on the network configuration and comprising information enabling each of the wireless communications devices in the group to establish a connection to the wireless network without further assistance from the second wireless communication device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the requests for assisted connection initialization comprise identifiers of the wireless communication devices.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the single connection initialization request to the network entity comprises the identifiers of the wireless communication devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining capability information of the first wireless communication device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication device uses a first communication technology for obtaining the requests and for providing the connection parameters, and uses a second communications technology for sending the single connection initialization request to the network entity.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network configuration for each of the wireless communications devices is signed by the network entity.

7 . A method of providing initial network access for a group of wireless communications devices to a wireless network, the method comprising a network entity:

obtaining a single connection initialization request, from a second wireless communication device, for connection initialization of the group, wherein the group comprises a first wireless communication device and at least one further wireless communication device; and

providing, to the second wireless communication device in one or more responses to the single connection initialization request, a network configuration for each of the wireless communication devices in the group.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the single connection initialization request obtained from the second wireless communication device comprises identifiers of the wireless communication devices.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising binding network resources to the first wireless communication device;

wherein the network configuration for the first wireless communication device identifies the network resources bound to the first wireless communication device.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising signing the network configuration for the first wireless communication device before providing the network configuration for the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device.