Methods of resuming a radio bearer and related wireless terminals and network nodes

A base station configured to operate in a wireless communication network, the base station comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate with one or more wireless terminals;
• and
• processing circuitry operably coupled with the transceiver, whereby the processing circuitry and the transceiver are configured to:
• receive, from a wireless terminal, a request to resume a suspended connection with the wireless communication network;
• subsequently transmit the following messages to the wireless terminal:
• a connection resume message related to resuming security associated with the suspended connection, and
• a connection reconfiguration message related to resuming one or more radio bearers associated with the suspended connection;
• selectively receive, from the wireless terminal, a connection resume complete message;
• and
• receive uplink data from the wireless terminal via the one or more resumed radio bearers.

A method for a wireless terminal configured to operate in a wireless communication network that includes a base station, the method comprising:

• transmitting, to the base station, a request to resume a suspended connection with the wireless communication network;
• subsequently receiving the following messages from the base station:
• a connection resume message related to resuming security associated with the suspended connection, and
• a connection reconfiguration message related to resuming one or more radio bearers associated with the suspended connection;
• based on the connection resume message, changing a security key previously used for the connection before the connection was suspended;
• based on the connection reconfiguration message, resuming the one or more radio bearers associated with the connection;
• selectively transmitting, to the base station, a connection resume complete message.