When E-UTRAN and NG-RAN resources are shared they can be allocated unequally to the Participating Operators, depending on the planned or current needs of these operators and based on service agreements with the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator. The following requirements apply: The Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator shall be able to specify the allocation of E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resources to each of the Participating Operators by the following:

1. static allocation, i.e. guaranteeing a minimum allocation and limiting to a maximum allocation,
2. static allocation for a specified period of time and/or specific cells/sectors,
3. first UE come first UE served allocation.
4. the type and number of 5G slices

Resources include both user plane and signalling plane. The Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator needs to be able to manage the sharing of the signalling traffic independently from that of the user traffic because signalling traffic and user traffic are not always directly related. For example for MTC devices, the signalling traffic volume can be high and the user traffic volume low whereas for downloading video, the signalling traffic is low and the user traffic is high. The following requirements apply: The management and allocation of resources of signalling traffic over the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be independent from the management and allocation of resources of the user traffic over the Shared E-UTRAN. A Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be capable of differentiating traffic associated with individual Participating Operators. A Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be able to conduct admission control based on the allocated E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resources for each Participating Operator. A Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator shall be able to control resource usage taking into account the allocated E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resources for each Participating Operator. A means of monitoring the usage of resources shall be provided. All shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN capabilities offered by the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator shall be individually available for use by each Participating Operator where this is possible. The 3GPP System shall support a Shared RAN (E-UTRAN or NG-RAN) to cover a specific coverage area (e.g. from a complete network to a single cell, both outdoor and indoor). The 3GPP System shall support service continuity for UEs that are moving between different Shared RANs or between a Shared RAN and a non-shared RAN.

Each Participating Operator can have their own OA&M capabilities, which are used for monitoring and for selected operations in a shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN. Information exchange involved in those operations need to be controlled by the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator as to prevent disclosing them to other Participating Operators, be it for business, operational, or technical reasons. The following requirements apply: Selected OA&M capabilities for the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN, under the control of the Hosting E- UTRAN Operator, shall be accessible by the Participating Operator's OA&M functions This would allow, for example, the Participating Operator to do the following:

• test of communication path between the Participating Operator's network elements and the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN,
• obtain fault reports,
• retrieve RAN resource usage information.

To facilitate interoperator accounting between Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator and Participating Operator the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator needs to record E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resource usage by UEs of the Participating Operator. The following requirements apply: A Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator shall be able to collect events supporting the accounting of network resource usage separately for each Participating Operator. Collected events may be delivered to the subscriber's Participating Operator. This includes:

• start of service in the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN for a UE of the Participating Operator,
• end of service in the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN for a UE of the Participating Operator.

MDT data from a Participating Operator's customer UEs allow the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator to be provided with performance measurements on his Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN. The Participating Operator is responsible for obtaining and retaining any required user consent related to privacy. The following requirements apply: When authorized by the Participating Operators, the Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operator shall be able to collect MDT data of the Participating Operator's UEs connected through its E-UTRAN/NG-RAN.

A Participating Operator potentially has regulatory obligations to initiate the broadcast of PWS messages regardless of E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Sharing. The following requirements apply: The Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be able to broadcast PWS messages originated from the core networks of all Participating Operators.

Hosting E-UTRAN/NG-RAN Operators have the need to optimize E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resource usage within the shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN for a particular coverage area. At the same time, the agreed shares of E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resources based on a single cell and sector for each Participating Operator need to be respected. Likewise, Participating Operators have the need to optimize their E-UTRAN/NG-RAN resource usage among shared and unshared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN for a particular coverage area. The capability to perform load balancing on an individual Participating Operator's traffic basis within a shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be supported. The capability to perform load balancing on the combined traffic of all the Participating Operators within a shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be supported. The capability to perform load balancing between an individual Participating Operator's traffic within a shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN and traffic in that Participating Operator's unshared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN where the shared and unshared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN coverage overlaps shall be supported. If load balancing in a Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN is supported and if a Participating Operator's EPC indicates overload to the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN in order to mitigate the overload situation then overload mitigation measures shall have minimal impact on the communication between the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN and other Participating Operators EPCs.

In situations where a need for additional, unplanned, E-UTRAN/NG-RAN capacity by a Participating Operator arises (e.g. in the case of big mass-events) the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN can provide means to allocate available spare capacity to the Participating Operator. Based on service level agreement between the Hosting and Participating operator such allocation can be automated without human intervention. The following requirements apply: The Participating Operator shall be able to query and request spare capacity of the Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN, based on policies and without human intervention. The Shared E-UTRAN/NG-RAN shall be able to allocate spare capacity to Participating Operator, based on policies and without human intervention.

When GERAN or UTRAN resources are shared they can be allocated unequally to the Participating Operators, depending on the planned or current needs of these operators and based on service agreements with the Hosting RAN Operator. The following requirements apply: The Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to specify the allocation of GERAN or UTRAN resources to each of the Participating Operators by the following:

1. static allocation, i.e. guaranteeing a minimum allocation and limiting to a maximum allocation,
2. static allocation for a specified period of time and/or specific cells/sectors,
3. first UE come first UE served allocation.

The management and allocation of resources of signalling traffic over the Shared GERAN or UTRAN shall be independent from the management and allocation of resources of the user traffic over the Shared GERAN or UTRAN. A Shared GERAN or UTRAN shall be capable of differentiating traffic associated with individual Participating Operators and shall be able to limit QoS available for traffic of the UEs of a Participating Operator (e.g. "best effort" if not enough resources are available). A Shared GERAN or UTRAN shall be able to conduct admission control based on the allocated GERAN or UTRAN resources for each Participating Operator with a margin of tolerance. A Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to control resource usage taking into account the allocated GERAN or UTRAN resources for each Participating Operator. A means of monitoring the usage of resources shall be provided. All Shared GERAN or UTRAN capabilities offered by the Hosting RAN Operator shall be individually available for use by each Participating Operator where this is possible. A Hosting RAN shall be able to provide an indication to each Participating Operator of how much capacity they are allocated at any one time. Signalling and User traffic shall be separately identified. The ability to allow a single RAN (GERAN or UTRAN) to be fully shared by a number of Participating Operators shall be provided.

Each Participating Operator can have their own OA&M capabilities, which are used for monitoring and for selected operations in a Shared GERAN or UTRAN. Information exchange involved in those operations need to be controlled by the Hosting RAN Operator so as to prevent disclosing them to other Participating Operators, be it for business, operational, or technical reasons. The following requirements apply: Selected OA&M capabilities for the Shared GERAN or UTRAN, under the control of the Hosting RAN Operator, shall be accessible by the Participating Operator's OA&M functions This would allow, for example, the Participating Operator to do the following:

• test of communication path between the Participating Operator's network elements and the Shared GERAN or UTRAN,
• obtain fault reports,
• retrieve GERAN or UTRAN resource usage information.

To facilitate inter-operator accounting between the Hosting RAN Operator and the Participating Operator, the Hosting RAN Operator needs to record GERAN or UTRAN resource usage by UEs of the Participating Operator. The following requirements apply: A Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to collect events supporting the accounting of network resource usage separately for each Participating Operator. Collected events may be delivered to the subscriber's Participating Operator. This includes:

• start of service in the Shared GERAN or UTRAN for a UE of the Participating Operator,
• end of service in the Shared GERAN or UTRAN for a UE of the Participating Operator.

MDT data from a Participating Operator's customer UEs allow the Hosting RAN Operator to be provided with performance measurements on his Shared GERAN or UTRAN. The Participating Operator is responsible for obtaining and retaining any required user consent related to privacy. The following requirements apply: When authorized by the Participating Operators, the Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to collect MDT data of the Participating Operator's UEs connected through its GERAN or UTRAN. The Participating Operators shall be able to retrieve this data for their own subscribers from the Hosting RAN Operator.

A Participating Operator potentially has regulatory obligations to initiate the broadcast of PWS messages regardless of GERAN or UTRAN Sharing. The following requirements apply: The Shared GERAN or UTRAN shall be able to broadcast PWS.

Hosting RAN Operators need to optimise GERAN or UTRAN resource usage within the Shared GERAN or UTRAN for a particular coverage area while respecting the agreed resource shares for each Participating Operator. Similarly, Participating Operators need to optimise their GERAN or UTRAN resource usage between Shared and unshared GERAN or UTRAN for a particular coverage area. The Hosting RAN Operator shall have the capability to balance the Signalling and User Traffic load individually for each Participating Operator within a Shared GERAN or UTRAN. The capability to perform load balancing on the combined traffic of all the Participating Operators within a Shared GERAN or UTRAN shall be provided. The agreed shares of GERAN or UTRAN resources shall be maintained. Signalling and User traffic shall be managed independently. The capability to perform load balancing between an individual Participating Operator's traffic within a Shared GERAN or UTRAN and traffic in that Participating Operator's unshared GERAN or UTRAN where the Shared and unshared GERAN or UTRAN coverage overlaps shall be supported. The Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to balance the load across all Participating Operators.

The Participating Operator shall be able to request on-demand spare capacity of the Shared GERAN or UTRAN based on policies and without human intervention. The Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to allocate spare on-demand capacity on the Shared GERAN or UTRAN to a Participating Operator, based on policies and without human intervention. The Participating Operator shall be able to request the cancellation of granted on-demand capacity requests. The Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to cancel a granted request based on a Participating Operator's request or based on agreed policy. The Hosting RAN Operator shall be able to change the amount shared by each Participating Operator based on traffic demand. A minimum capacity (that can be set) of the Hosting RAN shall be reserved for each Participating Operator that cannot be allocated to other Participating Operators.