Ran controlled wi-fi selection

A method for operating a UE in a communications network, the communications network comprising a radio access network and a wireless network, the radio access network including a base station serving the UE, and the wireless network including one or more wireless access points, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a network entity in the radio access network via the base station, wireless access point information associated with a set of available wireless access points from the one or more wireless access points;
• wherein the selection of available wireless points at the network entity is based on network information associated with radio access network resources comprising one or more of information relating to UE mobility, radio access network load, radio access network cell load, and radio access network radio link performance;
• determining the available wireless access points the UE can access based on applying the wireless access point information with access rules for accessing the available wireless access points;
• and
• storing wireless network access information associated with the determined available wireless access points, the wireless network access information for use by the UE when accessing the wireless network via the determined available wireless access points.

A network entity for use in a communications network, the communications network comprising a radio access network and a wireless network, the radio access network including a base station serving the UE, and the wireless network including one or more wireless access points, the network entity comprising:

• a processor, a receiver, a transmitter, and a memory, the processor being coupled to the receiver, the transmitter and the memory, wherein:
• the processor is configured to select a set of available wireless access points from the one or more wireless access points for use by the UE based on network information associated with radio access network resources and wireless network resources, wherein said network information associated with radio access network resources comprises one or more of information relating to UE mobility, radio access network load, radio access network cell load, and radio access network radio link performance;
• the processor is further configured to generate wireless access point information associated with the characteristics of the set of available wireless access points for use by a UE to access the set of available wireless access points;
• and
• the transmitter is configured to transmit the wireless access point information via the base station to the UE.

A user equipment for use in a communications network, the communications network comprising a radio access network and a wireless network, the radio access network including a base station serving a user equipment, UE, and the wireless network including one or more wireless access points, the UE comprising:

• a processor, a receiver, a transmitter and a memory, the processor being coupled to the receiver, the transmitter and the memory, wherein:
• the receiver is configured to receive, from a network entity in the radio access network via the base station, wireless access point information associated with a set of available wireless access points from the one or more wireless access points, wherein the selection of available wireless points at the network entity is based on network information associated with radio access network resources comprising one or more of information relating to UE mobility, radio access network load, radio access network cell load, and radio access network radio link performance;
• the processor is configured to determine the available wireless access points the UE can access based on applying the wireless access point information with access rules associated for accessing the available wireless access points;
• and
• the memory is configured to store wireless network access information associated with the determined available wireless access points, the wireless network access information for use by the processor and transmitter when the UE accesses the wireless network via a determined available wireless access point.