Managing circuit switched voice service connectivity in a cellular telecommunications network
View Patent ↗This disclosure relates to a method of operating a cellular telecommunications network, the cellular telecommunications network including a first base station for a first mobile network operator, a second base station, and a management node, the management node being configured to determine, based on a tracking area code, whether a base station associated with the tracking area code supports a circuit switched voice service. The method can include determining that at least a part of the first base station should enter energy saving mode; in response to the determination, identifying an energy saving solution that ensures continuity of the first circuit switched voice service; causing reconfiguration of the first base station according to the identified energy saving solution so that: the first circuit switched voice service supported by the first base station enters energy saving mode and, the first base station uses a first tracking area code indicating that the first base station does not support the first circuit switched voice service; and continuing support of the first circuit switched voice service by the second base station, wherein the second base station uses a second tracking area code indicating that the second base station supports the first circuit switched voice service.
1 . A method of operating a management node in a cellular telecommunications network, the cellular telecommunications network comprising a base station and a User Equipment (UE), wherein the base station transmits a tracking area code to the UE indicating to the UE that the base station does not support a circuit switched voice service, the method comprising:
receiving a tracking area update request message from the UE, the tracking area update request message including the tracking area code broadcast by the base station;
determining that the UE requires a circuit switched voice service;
determining, based on the tracking area code, that the base station does not support the circuit switched voice service; and
based on the determinations, sending a tracking area update reject message to the UE.
2 . A network node in a cellular telecommunications network, the cellular telecommunications network comprising a base station and a User Equipment (UE), wherein the base station transmits a tracking area code to the UE indicating to the UE that the base station does not support a circuit switched voice service, the network node comprising:
at least one processor and memory configured to:
receive a tracking area update request message from the UE, the tracking area update request message including the tracking area code broadcast by the base station;
determine that the UE requires a circuit switched voice service;
determine, based on the tracking area code, that the base station does not support the circuit switched voice service; and
based on the determinations, send a tracking area update reject message to the UE.
3 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer-readable code operable, when loaded on and executed by a computer, to cause the computer to operate a node in a cellular telecommunications network, the cellular telecommunications network comprising a base station and a User Equipment (UE), wherein the base station transmits a tracking area code to the UE indicating to the UE that the base station does not support a circuit switched voice service, by:
receiving a tracking area update request message from the UE, the tracking area update request message including the tracking area code broadcast by the base station;
determining that the UE requires a circuit switched voice service;
determining, based on the tracking area code, that the base station does not support the circuit switched voice service; and
based on the determinations, sending a tracking area update reject message to the UE.