Unified subscription identifier management in communication systems

A method comprising:

• constructing, at a user equipment in a wireless communication system, a unified subscription identifier data structure;
• storing the unified subscription identifier data structure, wherein the unified subscription identifier data structure comprises a plurality of fields that include at least one field specifying a selected subscription identifier type selected from a group of subscription identifier types comprising a Concealed Subscription Identifier (SUCI), a Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI), and an International Mobile Station Identifier (IMSI);
• and
• using the selected one of two or more subscription identifier fields in the unified subscription identifier data structure to access one or more networks associated with the wireless communication system based on an authentication scenario corresponding to the selected subscription identifier type,
• wherein the plurality of fields comprise a subscription identifier type field, and
• wherein the plurality of fields comprise a unified data management (UDM) selection parameter field.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

• construct, at a user equipment in a wireless communication system, a unified subscription identifier data structure;
• store the unified subscription identifier data structure, wherein the unified subscription identifier data structure comprises a plurality of fields that include at least one field specifying a selected subscription identifier type selected from a group of subscription identifier types comprising a Concealed Subscription Identifier (SUCI), a Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI), and an International Mobile Station Identifier (IMSI);
• and
• use the selected one of two or more subscription identifier fields in the unified subscription identifier data structure to access one or more networks associated with the wireless communication system based on an authentication scenario corresponding to the selected subscription identifier type,
• wherein the plurality of fields comprise a subscription identifier type field, and
• wherein the plurality of fields comprise a unified data management (UDM) selection parameter field.