USER PLANE OPTIMIZATIONS FOR 5G CELLULAR INTERNET OF THINGS

Disclosed herein is a method of operating a RAN node 203 of a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving a connection resume request message from a wireless terminal 201 at the RAN node instructing the RAN node to establish a connection with the wireless terminal; providing release information for the wireless terminal at the RAN node; receiving uplink data from the wireless terminal at the RAN node, wherein the uplink data is associated with the connection resume request message; and transmitting a connection release message to the wireless terminal after receiving the uplink data responsive to the release information for the wireless terminal, wherein the connection release message instructs the wireless terminal to release and/or suspend the connection.