METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INITIAL ACCESS FOR REDUCED CAPABILITY DEVICES

1 . A method for initial access of a reduced capability (RedCap) device to a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the RedCap device, broadcast access permission information;

determining, by the RedCap device, an access permission status based on one or more characteristics of the RedCap device and the broadcast access permission information;

receiving, by the RedCap device, broadcast capability indication configuration information;

determining, by the RedCap device, a capability indication configuration based on the broadcast capability indication configuration information, the capability indication configuration indicative of one or more messages to use for transmission of one or more capabilities of the RedCap device; and

upon determination the access permission status indicates that the RedCap device is permitted to access to the wireless network, transmitting, by the RedCap device, the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device via the one or more messages.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device include one or more of: bandwidth supported by the RedCap device; a number of antennas of the RedCap device; a duplexing mode utilized by the RedCap device;

and a modulation capability of the RedCap device.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the RedCap device include one or more of: bandwidth supported by the RedCap device; a number of antennas of the RedCap device; a duplexing mode utilized by the RedCap device;

and a modulation capability of the RedCap device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the broadcast access permission information, the broadcast capability indication configuration information or both are acquired from system information blocks.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more messages indicated by the capability indication configuration include one or more of a first message during the initial access of the RedCap device, third message during the initial access of the RedCap device and a message after the third message during the initial access of the RedCap device.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein some of the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device are transmitted via the first message or the third message, and the remaining of the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device are transmitted via the message after the third message. .

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the broadcast access permission information includes or excludes an access permission indication to indicate whether the RedCap device is permitted to access to the wireless network such that presence of the access permission indication is indicative of permission for the RedCap device to access to the wireless network and absence of the access permission indication is indicative of a rejection for the RedCap device to access to the wireless network.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the initial access is repeated if the RedCap device performs one or more of an idle mode inter-band reselection and a cell reselection.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the access permission status is further determined based on a subscription type of the RedCap device, the subscription type indicating whether the RedCap device subscribes to one or more of a home network, a preferred roaming network and another roaming network.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the access permission status and the capability indication configuration are a bitmask.

11 . A reduced capability (RedCap) device comprising:

a processor; and

machine readable memory storing machine executable instructions which when executed by the processor configure the device to:

receive broadcast access permission information;

determine an access permission status based on one or more characteristics of the RedCap device and the broadcast access permission information;

receive broadcast capability indication configuration information;

determine a capability indication configuration based on the broadcast capability indication configuration information, the capability indication configuration indicative of one or more messages to use for transmission of one or more capabilities of the RedCap device; and

upon determination the access permission status indicates that the RedCap device is permitted to access to the wireless network, transmit the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device via the one or more messages.

12 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device include one or more of: bandwidth supported by the RedCap device; a number of antennas of the RedCap device; a duplexing mode utilized by the RedCap device;

and a modulation capability of the RedCap device.

13 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the RedCap device include one or more of: bandwidth supported by the RedCap device; a number of antennas of the RedCap device; a duplexing mode utilized by the RedCap device;

and a modulation capability of the RedCap device.

14 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the broadcast access permission information, the broadcast capability indication configuration information or both are acquired from system information blocks.

15 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein one or more messages indicated by the capability indication configuration include one or more of a first message during the initial access of the RedCap device, third message during the initial access of the RedCap device and a message after the third message during the initial access of the RedCap device.

16 . The device according to claim 15 , wherein some of the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device are transmitted via the first message or the third message, and the remaining of the one or more capabilities of the RedCap device are transmitted via the message after the third message.

17 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the broadcast access permission information includes or excludes an access permission indication to indicate whether the RedCap device is permitted to access to the wireless network such that presence of the access permission indication is indicative of permission for the RedCap device to access to the wireless network and absence of the access permission indication is indicative of a rejection for the RedCap device to access to the wireless network.

18 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the initial access is repeated if the RedCap device performs one or more of an idle mode inter-band reselection and a cell reselection.

19 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the access permission status is further determined based on a subscription type of the RedCap device, the subscription type indicating whether the RedCap device subscribes to one or more of a home network, a preferred roaming network and another roaming network.

20 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein one or more of the access permission status and the capability indication configuration are a bitmask.