METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTER-CENTRAL UNIT (CU) HANDOVER OF INTEGRATED ACCESS AND BACKHAUL (IAB) NODE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

The present disclosure relates to a communication system for supporting a high data transfer rate. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method, performed by a first gNodeB (gNB)-central unit (CU), of supporting an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in performing handover to a second gNB-CU in a wireless communication system. The method includes transmitting handover information to at least one lower node connected to the IAB node, the handover information being determined based on a measurement report for handover of the IAB node, transmitting a handover request message including the handover information of the IAB node to the second gNB-CU, receiving context information from the at least one lower node, based on the context information, identifying, as a first class, a lower node to perform intra-CU handover, and identifying, as a second class, a lower node to perform inter-CU handover from among the at least one lower node, supporting intra-CU handover of the lower node identified as the first class, and supporting inter-CU handover of the IAB node to the second gNB-CU, based on the handover information of the IAB node and a handover acceptance message of the IAB node which is received from the second gNB-CU.