Detection of a user equipment type related to access, services authorization and/or authentication

A communication network for detection of a user equipment type, wherein the communication network comprises:

• a core network;
• and
• an access network;
• wherein the communication network is configured to serve user equipments of different user equipment types and to apply different authorization methods and/or different authentication methods for different user equipments belonging to different user equipment types;
• wherein the core network comprises a subscriber repository functionality, the subscriber repository functionality comprising subscriber identity information and/or device identity information regarding a plurality of user equipments of different user equipment types;
• wherein an access network element of the access network or a core network element of the core network is configured to receive a service request message from a user equipment, wherein the service request message requests a service from the communication network and comprises subscriber identity information and/or device identity information related to the user equipment and an indication that an alternative authorization method and/or an alternative authentication method is to be applied to the user equipment;
• wherein the subscriber repository functionality is configured to verify, based on the subscriber identity information and/or the device identity information related to the user equipment, that the user equipment belongs to an internet-of-things user equipment type upon at least one further request message being transmitted by the access network element or by the core network element to the subscriber repository functionality;
• wherein the subscriber repository functionality is further configured to transmit at least one further authorization message to the access network element or to the core network element, wherein the at least one further authorization message comprises an indication that the user equipment belongs to the internet-of-things user equipment type;
• and
• wherein the communication network is configured to grant, in response to verifying that the user equipment belongs to the internet-of-things user equipment type, the requested service to the user equipment via a service authorization message being sent to the user equipment from the access network element or the core network element.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for detection of a user equipment type, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitate:

• receiving, by an access network element of an access network of a communication network or a core network element of a core network of the communication network, a service request message from a user equipment, wherein the communication network is configured to apply different authorization methods and/or different authentication methods for different types of user equipments, wherein the core network of the communication network comprises a subscriber repository functionality comprising subscriber identity information and/or device identity information regarding a plurality of user equipments of different user equipment types, and wherein the service request message requests a service from the communication network and comprises subscriber identity information and/or device identity information related to the user equipment and an indication that an alternative authorization method and/or the alternative authentication method is to be applied to the user equipment;
• verifying, by the subscriber repository functionality, based on the subscriber identity information and/or the device identity information related to the user equipment, that the user equipment belongs to an internet-of-things user equipment type upon at least one further request message being transmitted by the access network element or by the core network element to the subscriber repository functionality;
• transmitting, by the subscriber repository functionality, at least one further authorization message to the access network element or to the core network element, wherein the at least one further authorization message comprises an indication that the user equipment belongs to the internet-of-things user equipment type;
• and
• in response to verifying that the user equipment belongs to the internet-of-things user equipment type, granting, by the communication network, the requested service to the user equipment via a service authorization message being sent to the user equipment from the access network element or the core network element.