Bitrate utilization feedback and control in 5G-NSA networks

1. A method comprising:

registering a User Equipment (UE) with a 5G-NSA (Non-Standalone) network environment by negotiating a 5G Aggregate Maximum Bitrate (AMBR);

triggering a bearer-specific timer in response to detecting a data flow to the UE;

monitoring for the receipt of a Secondary Radio Access Technology (RAT) Data Usage Report; and

in response to the bearer-specific timer expiring without a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report being received:

determining that the UE is not currently being served by a 5G RAT;

performing local rate limiting by reducing the negotiated 5G AMBR to a limited AMBR having a lower bitrate than the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

configuring the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the limited AMBR.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining the local rate limiting and the limited AMBR;

determining, at a later time, that a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report has been received;

removing the local rate limiting by configuring the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

retriggering the bearer-specific timer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report without the bearer-specific timer expiring:

determining that the UE is currently being served by a 5G RAT;

maintaining the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR;

retriggering the bearer-specific timer; and

continuously monitoring for the receipt of an additional Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report is generated by a 4G extended NodeB (eNB) of the 5G-NSA network environment.

5. The method of claim 4 , where the bearer-specific timer is configured with an interval that is substantially equal to a periodicity with which the 4G eNB generates Secondary RAT Data Usage Reports.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report is received via one or more of:

a Change Notification Request message; and

a GTP-v2 (GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2) message.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local rate limiting is performed at a Packet Gateway (PGW) of the 5G-NSA network environment.

8. A computer-readable device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

registering a User Equipment (UE) with a 5G-NSA (Non-Standalone) network environment by negotiating a 5G Aggregate Maximum Bitrate (AMBR);

triggering a bearer-specific timer in response to detecting a data flow to the UE;

monitoring for the receipt of a Secondary Radio Access Technology (RAT) Data Usage Report; and

in response to the bearer-specific timer expiring without a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report being received:

determining that the UE is not currently being served by a 5G RAT;

performing local rate limiting by reducing the negotiated 5G AMBR to a limited AMBR having a lower bitrate than the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

configuring the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the limited AMBR.

9. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

maintaining the local rate limiting and the limited AMBR;

determining, at a later time, that a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report has been received;

removing the local rate limiting by configuring the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

retriggering the bearer-specific timer.

10. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where in response to receiving a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report with the bearer-specific timer expiring, the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that the UE is currently being served by a 5G RAT;

maintaining the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR;

retriggering the bearer-specific timer; and

continuously monitoring for the receipt of an additional Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

11. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to cause a 4G extended NodeB (eNB) of the 5G-NSA network environment to generate the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

12. The computer-readable device of claim 11 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to configure the bearer-specific timer with an interval that is substantially equal to a periodicity with which the 4G eNB generates Secondary RAT Data Usage Reports.

13. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to receive the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report via one or more of:

a Change Notification Request message; and

a GTP-v2 (GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2) message.

14. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the local rate limiting at a Packet Gateway (PGW) of the 5G-NSA network environment.

15. The computer-readable device of claim 8 , where the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the local rate limiting such that the limited AMBR is equal to one or more of a maximum 4G AMBR and a pre-defined AMBR value configured in a memory of a Packet Gateway (PGW) of the 5G-NSA network environment.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including instructions that, upon being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

register a User Equipment (UE) with a 5G-NSA (Non-Standalone) network environment by negotiating a 5G Aggregate Maximum Bitrate (AMBR);

trigger a bearer-specific timer in response to detecting a data flow to the UE;

monitor for the receipt of a Secondary Radio Access Technology (RAT) Data Usage Report; and

in response to the bearer-specific timer expiring without a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report being received:

determine that the UE is not currently being served by a 5G RAT;

perform local rate limiting by reducing the negotiated 5G AMBR to a limited AMBR having a lower bitrate than the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

configure the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the limited AMBR.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

maintain the local rate limiting and the limited AMBR;

determine, at a later time, that a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report has been received;

remove the local rate limiting by configuring the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR; and

retrigger the bearer-specific timer.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to, in response to receiving a Secondary RAT Data Usage Report without the bearer-specific timer expiring:

determine that the UE is currently being served by a 5G RAT;

maintain the UE connection to the 5G-NSA network environment with the negotiated 5G AMBR;

retrigger the bearer-specific timer; and

continuously monitor for the receipt of an additional Secondary RAT Data Usage Report.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the Secondary RAT Data Usage Report is generated by a 4G extended NodeB (eNB) of the 5G-NSA network environment.

20. The system of claim 19 , where the bearer-specific timer is configured with an interval that is substantially equal to a periodicity with which the 4G eNB generates Secondary RAT Data Usage Reports.