Network nodes and methods performed therein for enabling communication in a communication network

1. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, for enabling connection setup for a wireless device in a communication network, which communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the first network is a home network of the wireless device and the second network is a network which is visited by the wireless device, and wherein the first network and the second network each comprise partitioned sets of functionalities, which sets of functionalities each belong to a network slice of the network, wherein a first set of functionalities in the first network belongs to a first network slice supporting the wireless device, and which first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network, wherein the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, the method comprising:

receiving, from the wireless device, a first network identity for the home network, an identity of the first network slice supporting the wireless device in the home network and a second network identity for the second network;

retrieving an identity of a second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity;

determining a second core network node based on the second network identity and the retrieved second network slice identity; and

transmitting, to the determined second core network node, an initial setup message for the wireless device, which initial setup message comprises an indication of the second network identity and the identity of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device;

wherein retrieving the identity of the second network slice comprises sending, to a data base (DB) the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity, and receiving from the DB an identification of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the RAN node is associated with a plurality of networks and wherein each network of the plurality of networks supports a plurality of network slices, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, to a core network node, a setup request message for establishing communication between the RAN node and the core network node; and

receiving, from the core network node, a setup response message comprising an indication of one or more networks served by the core network node and the network slices supported by each network served by the core network node.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the determining comprises comparing the retrieved second network identity and the second network slice identity with the received indication of networks and network slices supported by the core network node.

4. A Radio Access Network (RAN) node for enabling connection setup for a wireless device in a communication network, which communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the first network is a home network of the wireless device and the second network is a network which is visited by the wireless device, and wherein the first network and the second network each comprise partitioned sets of functionalities, which sets of functionalities each belong to a network slice of the network, wherein a first set of functionalities in the first network belongs to a first network slice supporting the wireless device, and which first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network, wherein the wireless device is to roam from the first network to the second network, the RAN node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions which, when executed by the processor, instructs the RAN node to perform operations to:

receive, from the wireless device, a first network identity for the home network, an identity of the first network slice supporting the wireless device in the home network and a second network identity for the second network;

retrieve an identity of a second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity;

determine a core network node based on the second network identity and the retrieved second network slice identity; and

transmit, to the determined core network node, an initial setup message for the wireless device, which initial setup message comprises an indication of the second network identity and the identity of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device, wherein the RAN node, in order to retrieve the identity of the second network slice, performs operations to send, to a database (DB) the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity, and

receive from the DB an identification of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity.

5. The RAN node according to claim 4 , wherein the RAN node is associated with a plurality of networks and wherein each network of the plurality of networks supports a plurality of network slices, wherein the RAN node further performs operations to:

transmit, to a core network node, a setup request message for establishing communication between the RAN node and the core network node; and

receive, from the core network node, a setup response message comprising an indication of one or more networks served by the core network node and the network slices supported by each network served by the core network node.

6. The RAN node according to claim 5 , wherein the RAN node further performs operations to compare the retrieved second network identity and the second network slice identity with the received indication of networks and network slices supported by the core network node in order to determine the core network node.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, for enabling connection setup for a wireless device in a communication network, which communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the first network is a home network of the wireless device and the second network is a network which is visited by the wireless device, and wherein the first network and the second network each comprise partitioned sets of functionalities, which sets of functionalities each belong to a network slice of the network, wherein a first set of functionalities in the first network belongs to a first network slice supporting the wireless device, and which first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network, wherein the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the wireless device, a first network identity for the home network, an identity of the first network slice supporting the wireless device in the home network and a second network identity for the second network;

retrieving an identity of a second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity;

determining a second core network node based on the second network identity and the retrieved second network slice identity; and

transmitting, to the determined second core network node, an initial setup message for the wireless device, which initial setup message comprises an indication of the second network identity and the identity of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device;

wherein the retrieving the identity of the second network slice comprises sending, to a database (DB) the received first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity, and receiving from the DB an identification of the second network slice capable of supporting the wireless device in the second network, based on the first network identity, the first network slice identity and the second network identity.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the RAN node further is associated with a plurality of networks and wherein each network of the plurality of networks supports a plurality of network slices, and wherein the instructions further cause the RAN node to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, to a core network node, a setup request message for establishing communication between the RAN node and the core network node; and

receiving, from the core network node, a setup response message comprising an indication of one or more networks served by the core network node and the network slices supported by each network served by the core network node.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises comparing the retrieved second network identity and the second network slice identity with the received indication of networks and network slices supported by the core network node.