User equipment (UE) grouping criteria and mechanisms for false paging reduction

A method, performed by a user equipment (UE), for receiving paging messages from a network node serving a cell in a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:

• receiving a paging indicator from the network node in downlink control information (DCI) on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein:
• the paging indicator indicates which of a plurality of paging subgroups associated with a paging occasion (PO) should receive a paging message from the network node, and
• the PO is one of a first sequence of POs to which UEs from all of the paging subgroups are assigned;
• when the UE is assigned to at least one of the paging subgroups indicated by the paging indicator, receiving the paging message from the network node on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

A user equipment (UE) configured to receive paging messages from a network node serving a cell in a radio access network (RAN), the UE comprising:

• communication circuitry configured to communicate with the network node;
• and
• processing circuitry operatively associated with the communication circuitry and configured to:
• receive a paging indicator from the network node in downlink control information (DCI) on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), wherein:
• the paging indicator indicates which of a plurality of paging subgroups associated with a paging occasion (PO) should receive a paging message from the network node, and
• the PO is one of a first sequence of POs to which UEs from all of the paging subgroups are assigned;
• when the UE is assigned to at least one of the paging subgroups indicated by the paging indicator, receive the paging message from the network node on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).