High Reliability and Early Data Transmission

A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

• a receiver that receives a configuration for early data transmission (EDT) in a wireless communication network;
• a random-access channel (RACH) handling circuit that initiates a RACH procedure with EDT by transmitting a preamble (MSG1) to a base station over a physical RACH (PRACH) resource;
• a transmitter that transmits a radio resource control (RRC) connection request or resume request (MSG3) to the base station upon receiving a random-access response (MSG2), wherein the RRC connection request or resume request is bundled with uplink data;
• and
• an uplink EDT handling circuit that re-attempts the RACH procedure with EDT upon a RACH failure, wherein the UE fallbacks to a legacy RACH procedure after a maximum number of RACH attempts for EDT.

A method comprising:

• transmitting a configuration for early data transmission (EDT) by a base station to a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, wherein the configuration comprises a maximum number of random-access channel (RACH) attempts for EDT;
• receiving a preamble (MSG1) from the UE over a physical RACH (PRACH) resource;
• transmitting a random-access response (MSG2) to the UE;
• and
• receiving a radio resource control (RRC) connection request or resume request (MSG3) from the UE, wherein the RRC connection request or resume request is bundled with uplink data for EDT.