Feature Description

SMF provides NetLoc User location information, Access Type, UE time zone towards PCF for VoNR and VoLTE support with this 2021.02.0 release.

In roaming scenarios, the hSMF provides the preceding functionality and supports associated call flows.

SMF informs support of Access Network Information Reporting to PCF by sending the NetLoc bit to PCF in SmPolicyContextData.

If PCF learns that NetLoc feature is supported, it performs the PCC rule provisioning and also provides the requested access network information indication (e.g. user location and/or user timezone information) to the SMF as follows:

  1. PCF includes the "lastReqRuleData" attribute to contain the "reqData" attribute with one or more values MS_TIME_ZONE and/or USER_LOC_INFO and the "refPccRuleIds" attribute to contain one or more related installed/modified/removed PCC rule identifiers.

  2. Provides the AN_INFO policy control request rigger within the "policyCtrlReqTriggers" attribute (if not yet set)

  3. For those PCC Rules based on preliminary service information as described in 3GPP TS 29.514 [17] or in 3GPP TS 29.214 [18], the PCF may assign the 5QI and ARP of the default QoS flow to avoid signalling to the UE. These PCC Rules are not included in the "packetFilterUsage" attribute set to true within the "flowInfos" attribute.

If PCF sets the AN_INFO policy control request trigger to receive the "lastReqRuleData" attribute with the "reqData" attribute with one or more values MS_TIME_ZONE and/or USER_LOC_INFO and the "refPccRuleIds" attribute containing one or more PCC rule identifiers corresponding to one or more PCC rules which are installed, modified, or removed together.

  • If the user location information is requested by the PCF and provided to the SMF, then the SMF provides the user location information within the "userLocationInfo" attribute and the time when it was last known within "userLocationInfoTime" attribute (if available).

  • If the user location information was requested by the PCF and if it’s not provided to the SMF, the SMF provides the serving PLMN identifier within the "servingNetwork" attribute.

  • If the time zone is requested by the PCF, the SMF provides "ueTimeZone" attribute. In addition, the SMF also provides the AN_INFO policy control request trigger within the "repPolicyCtrlReqTriggers" attribute.

  • If SMF does not have time zone information and PCF only requests MS TIME ZONE in reqData and AN INFO is the sole trigger activated in policyCtrlReqTriggers, then the SMF does not start the PCF update.

The SMF doesn’t report any subsequent access network information updates received from the RAN without any further provisioning or removal of related PCC rules. SMF requests the access network information unless the associated QoS flow or PDU session is released.