Controlling utilization of network paths for machine-type communications

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more network devices in an evolved packet core (ePC) network and via a customer portal device, profile attributes for a machine-type communication (MTC) device that is different than the customer portal device, the profile attributes including an access point name (APN) configuration that indicates, for non-Internet Protocol (IP)-type communications, a type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, wherein the type of bearer path is selected from a user plane and a control plane;

storing, by the one or more network devices, a subscriber profile for the MTC device, the subscriber profile including the profile attributes;

receiving, by the one or more network devices and after the storing, an attach request from the MTC device;

retrieving, by the one or more network devices and based on the attach request, the subscriber profile;

determining, by the one or more network devices, whether the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer; and

when the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer, implementing, by the one or more network devices and for the MTC device, the type of bearer path between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implementing further comprises:

when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the user plane, initiating, by the one or more network devices, creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a first interface between a base station and a serving gateway (SGW) device; and

when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the control plane, initiating, by the one or more network devices, creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes:

a second interface between a mobility management entity (MME) device and the SGW device, or

a third interface between the MME device and a service creation environment function (SCEF).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes the second interface further includes:

initiating creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes an interface between the SGW device and a packet data network gateway (PGW) device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes the third interface further includes:

obtaining, from the subscriber profile, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the SCEF.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second interface between the MME device and the SGW device includes an S11 interface, and wherein the third interface between the MME device and the SCEF includes a T6a interface.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the non-IP-type bearer that includes one of the second interface or the third interface uses non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the MTC device and the MME device.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes the first interface comprises:

sending a downlink non-access stratum (NAS) transport message from the MME device to the MTC device via the base station.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes the second interface comprises:

sending an initial context setup request from the MME device to the MTC device via the base station.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of bearer path as one of the user plane or the control plane is indicated by an Attribute-Value Pair (AVP).

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the subscriber profile does not indicate an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer, initiating, by the one or more network devices, creation of an IP-type bearer for the MTC device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber profile is stored in a memory of a home subscriber server (HSS) in the ePC.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the customer portal device, a device descriptor for the MTC device, the device descriptor including a description of a particular usage pattern of data to be sent by the MTC device; and

assigning, by the customer portal device and based on the description of the particular usage pattern, the type of bearer path.

13. A system comprising one or more network devices in an evolved packet core (ePC) network, the network devices including:

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to:

receive, via a customer portal device, profile attributes for a machine-type communication (MTC) device that is different than the customer portal device, the profile attributes including an access point name (APN) configuration that indicates, for non-Internet Protocol (IP)-type communications, a type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, wherein the type of bearer path is selected from a user plane and a control plane,

store, in the one or more memories, a subscriber profile for the MTC device, the subscriber profile including the profile attributes,

receive, after storing the subscriber profile, an attach request from the MTC device,

retrieve, based on the attach request, the subscriber profile,

determine whether the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer, and

when the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer, implement, for the MTC device, the type of bearer path between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein, when implementing the type of bearer path between the MTC device and the ePC network, the one or more processors are further to execute the instructions to:

when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the user plane, initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a first interface between a base station and a serving gateway (SGW) device, and

when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the control plane, initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes:

a second interface between a mobility management entity (MME) device and the SGW device, or

a third interface between the MME device and a service creation environment function (SCEF).

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein, when initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes one of the second interface or the third interface, the one or more processors are further to execute the instructions to:

initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a S11 interface between the MME device and the SGW device; and

initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a T6a interface between the MME device and the SCEF.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein, when initiating creation of the non-IP-type bearer that includes the T6a interface, the one or more processors are further to execute the instructions to:

obtain, from the subscriber profile, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the SCEF.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the type of bearer path is indicated by an Attribute-Value Pair (AVP) in the subscriber profile.

18. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:

the customer portal device including a processor to:

receive, from a user device that is different than the MTC device, a device descriptor for the MTC device, the device descriptor including descriptions of a particular usage pattern of data to be sent by the MTC device; and

assign, based on the description of the particular usage pattern, the type of bearer path, wherein the description of the particular usage pattern indicates a frequency of messages the MTC device will send.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions to:

receive, via a customer portal device, profile attributes for a machine-type communication (MTC) device that is different than the customer portal device, the profile attributes including an access point name (APN) configuration that indicates, for non-Internet Protocol (IP)-type communications, a type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and an evolved packet core (ePC) network, wherein the type of bearer path is selected from a user plane and a control plane;

store, in one or more memories, a subscriber profile for the profile attributes;

receive, after storing the subscriber profile, an attach request from the MTC device;

retrieve, based on the attach request, the subscriber profile;

determine whether the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer; and

when the subscriber profile indicates an APN configuration for a non-IP bearer, implement, for the MTC device, the type of bearer path between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 19 , wherein the instructions to implement the type of bearer path between the MTC device and the ePC network further comprise one or more instructions to:

initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a S11 interface between a mobility management entity (MME) device and a serving gateway (SGW) device of the ePC network, when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the user plane; and

initiate creation of a non-IP-type bearer that includes a T6a interface between the MME device and a service creation environment function (SCEF), when the type of bearer path to be used between the MTC device and the ePC network, as indicated in the subscriber profile, is the control plane.