Access traffic steering, switching, and splitting with branching point or uplink classifier on the path

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory comprising computer program code,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to
• establish a multi-access packet data unit session with a first user plane function;
• receive multi-access rules, allocated internet protocol addresses, and proxy information from a network element;
• send uplink traffic according to the received multi-access rules to a multipath transmission control protocol proxy in the first user plane function;
• receive instructions to establish a plurality of new multi-access packet data unit sessions to a same data network name and slice as an old multi-access packet data unit session based on a different multipath transmission control protocol proxy address for each of the plurality of new multi-access packet data unit sessions;
• establish the new multi-access packet data unit session using the same data network name and slice based on the received instructions;
• and
• release the multi-access packet data unit session with the first user plane function based on an inactivity detection when there is no traffic between the apparatus and the first user plane function, wherein the release of the multi-access packet data unit session triggers an immediate multi-access packet data unit session re-establishment.

A method, comprising:

• setting up, in response to a trigger, a first user plane function with multi-access traffic steering functionality before a multi-access packet data unit session is established with the first user plane function;
• requesting a user equipment to establish a plurality of new multi-access packet data unit sessions to a same data network name and slice as an old multi-access packet data unit session based on a different multipath transmission control protocol proxy address for each of the plurality of new multi-access data unit sessions;
• sending, from a network element to the user equipment, multi-access rules for the new multi-access packet data unit session, a new internet protocol address, and new multipath transmission control protocol proxy information;
• and
• triggering the user equipment to release the multi-access packet data unit session with the first user plane function, and to immediately re-establish the multi-access packet data unit session after releasing the multi-access packet data unit session with the first user plane function.

A method, comprising:

• establishing a multi-access packet data unit session with a first user plane function;
• receiving multi-access rules, allocated internet protocol addresses, and proxy information from a network element;
• sending uplink traffic according to the received multi-access rules to a multipath transmission control protocol proxy in the first user plane function;
• receiving instructions to establish a plurality of new multi-access packet data unit session to a same data network name and slice as an old multi-access packet data unit session based on a different multipath transmission control protocol proxy address for each of the plurality of new multi-access packet data unit sessions;
• establishing the new multi-access packet data unit session using the same data network name and slice based on the received instructions;
• and
• releasing the multi-access packet data unit session with the first user plane function based on an inactivity detection when there is no traffic between a user equipment and the first user plane function, wherein the release of the multi-access packet data unit session triggers an immediate multi-access packet data unit session re-establishment.