Section: 4.3.17.7 High latency communication
Content: Functions for High latency communication may (depending on operator configuration) be used to handle mobile terminated (MT) communication with UEs being unreachable while using power saving functions (e.g. UE Power Saving Mode (see clause 4.3.22) or extended idle mode DRX (see clause 5.13a)) or UEs that are using a satellite access with discontinuous coverage. "High latency" refers to the initial response time before normal exchange of packets is established. That is, the time it takes before a UE has woken up from its power saving state and responded to the initial downlink packet(s). The feature is described in TS 23.682[ Architecture enhancements to facilitate communications with packet data networks and applications ]  [74]. The High latency communication includes invoking extended buffering of MT data at the Serving GW when the UE is in a power saving state and not reachable. The handling is specified in the Network Triggered Service Request procedure, clause 5.3.4.3. Establishing the user plane for delivering the buffered data when the UE contacts the MME or SGSN by signalling shall be done in the Tracking Area Update and Routing Area Update procedures. The MME/SGSN uses its parameter DL Data Buffer Expiration Time in the MM context information to remember if there is buffered DL data to be delivered when the UE becomes reachable. When set, the DL Data Buffer Expiration Time shall be cleared at any user plane setup to the RAN, i.e. buffered DL data can been delivered. At TAU/RAU procedures with MME/SGSN change, the old MME/SGSN shall indicate in the context response to the new MME/SGSN that buffered DL data is waiting and hence the new MME/SGSN shall establish the user plane for delivery of the buffered DL data. When the DL Data Buffer Expiration Time has expired, the MME/SGSN considers no DL data to be buffered and no indications of Buffered DL Data Waiting are sent during context transfers at TAU procedures. At TAU/RAU procedures with Serving GW change, the buffered DL data is forwarded to the new Serving GW or Gn/Gp-SGSN. For Control Plane CIoT EPS Optimisation, the High latency communication includes invoking the buffering of MT data at the Serving GW or the MME as specified in Mobile Terminated Data Transport in Control Plane CIoT EPS Optimisation with P-GW connectivity, clause 5.3.4B.3. When the UE contacts MME, MME delivers the buffered data using NAS PDUs. If MT data is buffered in MME, at TAU procedures with MME change the buffered data in the old MME is discarded. The High latency communication also includes sending event notifications to application servers that have requested "UE Reachability" or "Availability after DDN failure" monitoring events. Event notifications are sent when a UE becomes reachable, for example as part of the Attach Procedure, TAU/RAU procedures and the UE triggered Service Request procedure. When "UE Reachability" monitoring is requested for UE's that are using extended idle mode DRX, an event notification is sent to the application server when the UE is about to become reachable for paging. If the MME is aware that some signalling or data is pending in the network for an UE that is known as being unreachable for a long duration, e.g. for UE's having extended idle mode DRX or PSM enabled, the MME may include a Pending Data indication in the next S1-AP message towards an eNodeB. If the eNodeB receives this indication, the eNodeB may take this information into account when determining user inactivity. At inter-RAN node handovers, if some signalling or data are still pending, the target MME may send a Pending Data indication to the target RAN node.