Radio resource control wide area configuration of a wireless device

A method in a cell network node, in communication with a central network node and a wireless device, WD, the method comprising:

• receiving wide area cell configuration information from the central network node, the wide area cell configuration information including cell configurations for each cell in a predefined wide area;
• receiving an indication that the WD has entered or is within a cell of the predefined wide area;
• when the WD is in the predefined wide area, configuring the WD with a subset of the wide area cell configuration information corresponding to an active wide area including a subset of cells of the predefined wide area, the subset of the wide area cell configuration information including setup, resume and hand over configurations and resource allocations;
• and
• determining a reduced message exchange, based on the configuration information corresponding to the active wide area, for one or both establishing and resuming communication with the WD when the WD enters or is within a cell of the active wide area.

A method in a wireless device, WD, configured to communicate with a cell network node, the cell network node being in communication with a central network node, the method comprising:

• receiving a wide area cell configuration signal from the cell network node, the wide area cell configuration signal including cell configuration information for each of a plurality of cells in a predefined wide area configured by the central network node, the cell configuration information including setup, resume and handover configurations and resource allocations for an active wide area, the active wide area including a subset of the plurality of cells of the predefined wide area;
• storing the cell configuration information;
• and
• performing a reduced message exchange based on the stored cell configuration information to one or both establish and resume communication with the cell network node or another cell network node serving a cell of the subset of the plurality of cells in the predefined wide area as long as the WD is connected to at least one cell in the active wide area.

A wireless device, WD, configured to communicate with a cell network node, the cell network node being in communication with a central network node, the WD comprising:

• a radio interface configured to:
• receive a wide area cell configuration signal from the cell network node, the wide area cell configuration signal including cell configuration information for each of a plurality of cells in a predefined wide area configured by the central network node, the cell configuration information including setup, resume and handover configurations and resource allocations for an active wide area including a subset of the plurality of cells of the predefined wide area;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• store the cell configuration information;
• and
• perform a reduced message exchange based on the stored cell configuration information to one or both establish and resume communication with the cell network node or another cell network node serving a cell of the subset of the plurality of cells in the predefined wide area as long as the WD is connected to at least one cell in the active wide area.