LTE Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept

Message Fact Sheet

Protocol	nas	Network	lte
Spec	3GPP TS 24.301	Spec Section	6.4.4.3, 8.3.11
Direction	UE to MME	Message Type	ESM signaling

Full message name	LTE Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept
Protocol	NAS
Technology	LTE
Direction	UE to MME
Interface	N1 over LTE access / S1-MME control path
Signaling bearer / channel	NAS signaling / Sent immediately after Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Request in the same bearer-release branch.
Typical trigger	Triggered when the UE successfully releases the requested EPS bearer context.
Main purpose	Confirms that the bearer deactivation branch completed successfully on the UE side.
Main specification	3GPP TS 24.301, 6.4.4.3, 8.3.11
Release added	Release 8
Procedures where used	EPS Bearer Context Deactivation Procedure
Related timers	T3495

What is LTE Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept in simple terms?

Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept is the LTE NAS message the UE sends after it released the bearer the network asked it to deactivate.

Confirms that the bearer deactivation branch completed successfully on the UE side.

Why this message matters

Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept is the UE confirming that the bearer release finished.

Where this message appears in the call flow

Dedicated bearer release completion

LTE flow showing Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept after dedicated bearer release — After the UE releases the bearer, it confirms completion with Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept.

Call flow position: UE completion message after a dedicated bearer was released.

Typical state: The bearer-release branch is closing cleanly.

Preconditions:

The UE received and applied Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Request.

Next likely message: Later PDN or service continuation

PDN cleanup completion

LTE flow showing Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept during PDN cleanup — The accept message closes the bearer-release branch during wider PDN cleanup.

Call flow position: UE completion message after a wider PDN cleanup branch removed the targeted bearer.

Typical state: The branch confirms that the requested bearer release finished on the UE side.

Preconditions:

The bearer-release request was accepted and applied.

Next likely message: Later PDN cleanup continuation

Policy-driven bearer release completion

LTE flow showing Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept after a policy-driven bearer release — When the bearer is removed because the service policy changed, the accept message confirms that the old bearer was released cleanly.

Call flow position: UE completion message after a policy or service-layout change removed the bearer.

Typical state: The network can finish the updated service layout without leaving the old bearer active.

Preconditions:

The bearer was removed because the service or policy branch changed.

Next likely message: Policy-aligned service continuation

Call flow position

Previous message(s): Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Request

Next message(s): Bearer release completion

Message direction and transport

Sender and receiver: UE to MME

Interface: N1 over LTE access / S1-MME control path

Domain: Core-side EPS session management completion signaling for bearer deactivation.

Signaling bearer: NAS signaling

Logical channel: Sent immediately after Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Request in the same bearer-release branch.

Transport / encapsulation: EPS NAS ESM message sent by the UE to confirm bearer release.

Security context: Protected by the active NAS security context.

Message Structure Overview

Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept is the UE confirmation that bearer release finished.

ASN.1 Message Syntax for LTE Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept

Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept

How to read this message syntax

This message is mainly procedural. Its main value is that it closes the bearer-release branch.

LTE Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept - Example Dump

Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept
  Protocol discriminator: EPS session management
  EPS bearer identity: 6
  Procedure transaction identity: 4
  Message type: Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept

How to read this dump

The main value is procedural: it confirms the release branch finished.

What to check in logs and traces

Check that the matching deactivate request appears immediately before this message.
Confirm whether later signaling assumes the bearer is gone.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

The network keeps retransmitting the deactivate request.

Likely cause: Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept may be missing or not received.

What to inspect: Check the request-accept pair and T3495-related repetition.

Next step: Treat the branch as incomplete bearer-release signaling before blaming policy logic.

FAQ

What is Deactivate EPS Bearer Context Accept in LTE?

It is the UE message that confirms the requested bearer deactivation finished successfully.

Related message pages

Related Procedures

Related Tools

Use This Reference in Practice

Decode this message with the 3GPP Decoder, inspect the related message database, or open the matching call flow to see where this signaling step fits in the full procedure.