Report NSA/SA NR indicator

1. A method performed by a communication device comprising a receiver and transmitter, the method comprising:

the communication device acquiring network support information associated with a neighbor cell provided by a neighbor new radio (NR) network node of a serving network node, wherein the network support information indicates that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation, and wherein, if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and, if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on the serving network node as a master node; and

the communication device employing the transmitter of the communication device to transmit to the serving network node a report comprising identification information associated with the neighbour cell and the network support information indicating that the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation and/or the NSA mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network support information comprises at least one of: a Cell Global Identity (CGI), a Tracking Area Code, a Core Network (CN) identifier, or a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

deriving the SA mode of operation and/or NSA mode of operation supported by the neighbor cell based on the at least one of: the CGI, the Tracking Area Code, the CN identifier, or the PLMN identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving from a network a cell identifier for identifying the neighbor cell before acquiring the network support information; and

using the cell identifier to acquire the network support information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein acquiring the network support information comprises:

receiving system information associated with the cell identifier, wherein the system information was broadcast and comprises the network support information; and

acquiring the network support information from the received system information.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein acquiring the network support information comprises:

transmitting a request for system information to the neighbor NR network node;

receiving the requested system information from the neighbor NR network node, wherein the system information comprises the network support information; and

obtaining the network support information from the received system information.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after acquiring the network support information, determining, based on the acquired network support information, whether the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation and/or the NSA mode of operation.

8. A method performed by a serving network node for establishing an interface with a neighbor new radio (NR) network node of the serving network node, the neighbor NR network node providing a neighbor cell, comprising:

the serving network node receiving a report transmitted by a communication device, wherein the report comprises identification information associated with the neighbor cell and network support information indicating that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation; and

the serving network node determining, based on the report, a type of interface to establish between the serving network node and the neighbor NR network node, wherein

if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and

if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on a serving network node as a master node.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining whether the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation and/or the NSA mode of operation based on the report.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is an eNodeB, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode of operation, determining whether the communication device supports EUTRAN-New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC); and

based on a determination that the communication device supports EUTRAN-New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), configuring dual connectivity with the neighbor cell.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is an eNodeB, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation and the NSA mode of operation, determining whether the communication device support both the SA and the NSA modes of operation; and

based on a determination that the communication device supports both the SA and the NSA modes of operation, initiating at least one of: (i) an Inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) handover to the neighbor cell or (ii) a configuration of EUTRAN-New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) with the neighbor cell.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is an eNodeB, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, determining whether the communication device supports the SA mode of operation; and

based on a determination that the communication device supports the SA mode of operation, initiating an Inter-Radio Access Technology (IRAT) handover to the neighbor cell.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is a gNodeB operating in the SA mode of operation, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell only supports the NSA mode of operation, deciding not to initiate a handover to the identified neighbor NR network node.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is a gNodeB operating in the SA mode of operation, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, initiating a handover to the neighbor cell.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is a gNodeB operating in the NSA mode of operation, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell only supports NSA mode of operation, triggering a secondary network node modification procedure.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the serving network node is a gNodeB operating in the NSA mode of operation, and the method further comprises:

based on a determination that the neighbor cell supports both SA and NSA modes of operation, triggering a secondary network node modification procedure.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determined type of interface to establish between the serving network node and the neighbor NR network node is an Xn connection interface.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the serving network node is an eNodeB connected to a 5th Generation Core (5GC) network and the neighbor NR network node is gNodeB in the SA mode of operation and connected to the 5GC network.

19. A method performed by a network node comprising a transmitter, the method comprising:

the network node acquiring network support information associated with a neighbor cell provided by a new radio (NR) network node that is a neighbor of the network node; and

the network node employing the transmitter to transmit the network support information, wherein the network support information indicates that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation, wherein

if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and

if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on a serving network node as a master node.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the network support information comprises one or more Core Network (CN) identifiers or one or more Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifiers.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of transmitting the network support information comprises broadcasting the network support information.

22. A communication device, the communication device comprising:

a transmitter; and

processing circuitry, wherein the communication device is configured to:

acquire network support information associated with a neighbor cell provided by a neighbor new radio (NR) network node, wherein the network support information indicates that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation, and wherein, if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and, if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on a serving network node as a master node; and

employ the transmitter to transmit to the serving network node a report comprising identification information associated with the neighbour cell and the network support information indicating that the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation and/or the NSA mode of operation.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method of claim 1 .

24. A serving network node configured to establish an interface with a neighbor new radio (NR) network node providing a neighbor cell, the serving network node comprising:

a receiver for receiving a report transmitted by a communication device, wherein the report comprises identification information associated with the neighbor cell and network support information indicating that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation, and wherein, if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and, if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on the serving network node as a master node; and

processing circuitry to for determining, based on the report, a type of interface to establish between the serving network node and the neighbor network node.

25. A network node, the network node comprising:

a transmitter; and

processing circuitry coupled to the transmitter, wherein the network node is configured to:

obtain network support information associated with a neighbor cell, wherein the network support information indicates that the neighbor cell supports a Stand-Alone (SA) mode of operation and/or a Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) mode of operation, and wherein, if the neighbor cell supports the SA mode of operation, then the neighbor cell has a control plane connection to a core network, and, if the neighbor cell supports the NSA mode operation, then the neighbor cell is operable to rely on a serving network node as a master node; and

employ the transmitter to transmit the network support information.

26. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method of claim 8 .