Telecommunications apparatus and methods

1. A method for controlling a connection procedure for a terminal device requesting a radio connection to a cell supported by network infrastructure equipment in a wireless telecommunication system, the method comprising:

determining, at the terminal device, that a request to connect to the cell supported by the network infrastructure equipment is to be made,

establishing, at the terminal device, application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device, wherein the terminal device determines from its own operating context what application information to include in the connection request;

transmitting a connection request message from the terminal device to the network infrastructure equipment, wherein the connection request message comprises a request for the terminal device to connect to the cell and an indication of the application information; and

determining, at the network infrastructure equipment, whether to allow the request for the terminal device to connect to the cell based, at least in part, on the application information received by the network infrastructure equipment from the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the event the network infrastructure equipment determines it should allow the request for the terminal device to connect to the cell, the network infrastructure equipment transmits a connection set-up message to the terminal device, wherein the connection set-up message comprises configuration information for the cell to be used by the terminal device for accessing the cell.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the network infrastructure equipment supporting communications with the terminal device when it has connected to the cell in a manner that is based, at least in part, on the application information received by the network infrastructure equipment from the terminal device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the event the network infrastructure equipment determines it should not allow the request for the terminal device to connect to the cell based on the application information, the network infrastructure equipment transmits to the terminal device an indication that the terminal device should instead request a connection to a different cell supported in the wireless telecommunication system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cell and the different cell are supported by the same network infrastructure equipment.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cell and the different cell operate in accordance with different radio access technologies.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cell and the different cell operate in accordance with the same radio access technologies.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the cell and the different cell correspond with different network slices.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cell and the different cell are supported by different network infrastructure equipment.

10. The method of claim/herein the application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device comprises one or more of:

an indication of a status of a battery for the terminal device;

an indication of a measurement of radio conditions for the terminal device;

an indication of a radio coverage mode for the terminal device;

an indication of a software application type running on the terminal device;

an indication of a software application source for the terminal device;

an indication of an Internet Protocol characteristic for the terminal device;

an indication of a preferred network slice for the terminal device;

an indication of a form factor for the terminal device; and

an indication of a degree of mobility for the terminal device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing, at the terminal device, application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device for which an indication is subsequently transmitted to the base station comprises the terminal device selecting what kind of application information to indicate to the network based on information previously received from the network.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connection request message further comprises an indication of capability information for the terminal device, wherein the capability information relates to the terminal device's ability to access a radio interface.

13. A method of operating a terminal device in a wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising:

determining that a request to connect to a cell supported by network infrastructure equipment in the wireless telecommunications system is to be made,

establishing application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device, wherein the terminal device determines from its own operating context what application information to include in the connection request; and

transmitting a connection request message to the network infrastructure equipment, wherein the connection request message comprises a request for the terminal device to connect to the cell and an indication of the application information.

14. A terminal device for use in a wireless telecommunications system, wherein the terminal device comprises controller circuitry and transceiver circuitry configured to operate together such that the terminal device is operable to:

determine that a request to connect to a cell supported by network infrastructure equipment in the wireless telecommunications system is to be made,

establish application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device, wherein the terminal device determines from its own operating context what application information to include in the connection request; and

transmit a connection request message to the network infrastructure equipment, wherein the connection request message comprises a request for the terminal device to connect to the cell and an indication of the application information.

15. Circuitry for a terminal device for use in a wireless telecommunications system, wherein the circuitry comprises controller circuitry and transceiver circuitry configured to operate together such that the circuitry is operable to:

determine that a request to connect to a cell supported by network infrastructure equipment in the wireless telecommunications system is to be made,

establish application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device, wherein the terminal device determines from its own operating context what application information to include in the connection request; and

transmit a connection request message to the network infrastructure equipment, wherein the connection request message comprises a request for the terminal device to connect to the cell and an indication of the application information.

16. A method of operating network infrastructure equipment supporting a cell in a wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a connection request message from a terminal device operating in the wireless telecommunications system, wherein the connection request message comprises a request for the terminal device to connect to the cell and an indication of application information relating to an operating context for the terminal device, wherein the terminal device determines from its own operating context what application information to include in the connection request; and

determining whether to allow the request for the terminal device to connect to the cell based, at least in part, on the application information received from the terminal device.