5.22.1 General

The 5GS and the 5G QoS model allow classification and differentiation of specific services such as listed in clause 5.16, based on subscription-related and invocation-related priority mechanisms. These mechanisms provide abilities such as invoking, modifying, maintaining and releasing QoS Flows with priority and delivering QoS Flow packets according to the QoS characteristics under network congestion conditions.

Subscription-related Priority Mechanisms include the ability to prioritize flows based on subscription information, including the prioritization of RRC Connection Establishment based on Unified Access Control mechanisms and the establishment of prioritized QoS Flows.

Invocation-related Priority Mechanisms include the ability for the service layer to request/invoke the activation of prioritized QoS Flows through an interaction over Rx/N5 and packet detection in the UPF.

QoS Mechanisms applied to established QoS Flows include the ability to fulfil the QoS characteristics of QoS Flows through preservation of differentiated treatment for prioritized QoS Flow and resource distribution prioritization.

Messages associated with priority services that are exchanged over service-based interfaces may include a Message Priority header to indicate priority information, as specified in TS 23.502 [3] and TS 29.500 [49].

In addition, the separation of concerns between the service classification provided by the core network through the association of Service Data Flows to QoS and the enforcing of QoS differentiation in (R)AN through the association of QoS Flows to Data Radio bearers, supports the prioritization of QoS Flows when a limitation of the available data radio bearers occurs.

In addition, it also includes the ability for the service layer to provide instructions on how to perform pre-emption of media flows with the same priority assigned through an interaction over Rx as defined in TS 23.503 [45].