Method for operating a first network device, first network device, and method for operating a communications network

A first network device (100;

• UE;
• BU) of a communications network (300), wherein the first network device (100;
• UE;
• BU) is configured to:
• ascertain (102), by means of an ingress queue (iqA), an ingress data stream (isA) comprising payload data to be transmitted towards a second network device (200;
• BU;
• UE);
• determine (104), by means of a correlation observer (CO), at least one correlation value (CC) for a plurality of communication paths (P1, P2) between the first network device (100;
• UE;
• BU) and the second network device (200;
• BU;
• UE), wherein each of the plurality of communication paths (P1, P2) comprises a different one of a plurality of physical channels (pCH1, pCH2);
• determine (106), by means of a multi-connectivity controller (MCC), a plurality of egress data streams (es1, es2) in dependence on the at least one correlation value (CC) and in dependence on the ingress data stream (isA);
• and
• transmit (108), via a respective one of a plurality of egress queues (eq1, eq2), the plurality of egress data streams (es1, es2), wherein each egress data stream (es1;
• es2) is associated with a different one of the plurality of paths (P1, P2).