Methods, systems, and computer readable media for communicating radio access network congestion status information for large numbers of users

A system for communicating radio access network (RAN) congestion status information for large numbers of users, the system comprising:

• a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) including one or more processors;
• and
• wherein the PCRF is configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, at the PCRF, a user-specific message from a radio access network (RAN) congestion awareness function (RCAF;
• determining, at the PCRF, that the user-specific message indicates that one or more evolved nodeBs (eNodeBs) monitored by the RCAF are congested for a plurality of users using the one or more eNodeBs for radio access to a telecommunications network;
• and
• in response to determining that the user-specific message indicates that the one or more eNodeBs are congested, performing, at the PCRF, one or more actions to mitigate the congestion.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by one or more computers control the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• at a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) including one or more processors:
• receiving a user-specific message from a radio access network (RAN) congestion awareness function (RCAF);
• determining that the user-specific message indicates that one or more evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs) monitored by the RCAF is congested for a plurality of users using the one or more eNodeBs for radio access to a telecommunications network;
• and
• in response to determining that the user-specific message indicates that the one or more eNodeBs are congested, performing one or more actions to mitigate the congestion.