Policy enforcement methods and apparatus for background data transfers involving multiple ues

Network equipment comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memories for storing program instructions;
• the program instructions comprising a network function for exposure of services and capabilities of a mobile network, and for interfacing with an application server (AS) for communication of data via the mobile network;
• the one or more processors being further operative in accordance with program instructions to:
• receive a message which includes a request for background data transfer from an AS to a plurality of user equipment (UEs) of a group, the message including a group ID associated with the group and a transfer policy ID associated with transfer policy data;
• verify whether a total bandwidth for the background data transfer for the group is within a predefined aggregate bandwidth limit indicated by the transfer policy data obtained based on the received transfer policy ID;
• and
• cause background data from the AS to be sent to each one of the plurality of UEs via the mobile network, if the total bandwidth for the background data transfer for the group is within the predefined aggregate bandwidth limit.

A method comprising:

• at a network node configured for exposure of services and capabilities of a mobile network, and for interfacing with an application server (AS) for communication of data via the mobile network,
• receiving a message which includes a request for background data transfer from the AS to a plurality of user equipments (UEs), the message including a plurality of UE IDs associated with the UEs and a transfer policy ID associated with transfer policy data;
• verifying whether an aggregate bandwidth for background data transfer for the UEs is within a predefined aggregate bandwidth limit indicated by the transfer policy data obtained based on the received transfer policy ID;
• and
• causing background data from the AS to be sent to each one of the UEs via the mobile network, if the aggregate bandwidth is within the predefined aggregate bandwidth limit.