Systems, methods and devices for traffic offloading

At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• receive, from a mobility management function in an evolved packet core (EPC) of a wireless wide area network (WWAN), offload information indicating one or more first packet data network (PDN) connections authorized for offload to a wireless local area network (WLAN) and one or more second PDN connections restricted from offload to the WLAN;
• receive radio access network (RAN) assistance information through radio resource control (RRC) signaling from the WWAN;
• determine, based on a comparison of the RAN assistance information with offload rules, to offload traffic to the WLAN;
• and
• in response to the determination to offload traffic, offload the one or more first PDN connections to the WLAN.

A user equipment (UE) configured for access network selection and traffic steering, the UE comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• process radio access network (RAN) assistance parameters to identify a wireless local area network (WLAN) for traffic offload;
• receive a first radio resource control (RRC) signal indicating a first packet data network (PDN) connection that is allowed to be offloaded from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) to the WLAN;
• and
• select the first PDN connection for communication through the WLAN;
• receive a second RRC signal indicating a second PDN connection that is restricted from offload from the WWAN to the WLAN;
• and
• select the second PDN connection for communication only through the WWAN.

An evolved packet core (EPC) of a wireless wide area network (WWAN), comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• generate offload information indicating one or more first packet data network (PDN) connections authorized for offload from the WWAN to a wireless local area network (WLAN) and one or more second PDN connections restricted from offload to the WLAN;
• communicate the offload information to a user equipment (UE);
• and
• communicate radio access network (RAN) assistance information through radio resource control (RRC) to the UE, the RAN assistance information including rules to determine whether to perform traffic offloading to the one or more first PDN connections authorized for offload from the WWAN to the WLAN.