An apparatus of a user equipment, UE, the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to: decode system information including access barring parameters for a plurality of access categories for accessing a cell of a base station, wherein the plurality of access categories includes a first subset of default access categories and a second subset of operator-defined access categories; decode a set of mapping rules associated with the second subset of operator-defined access categories; detect a network access attempt by a control plane layer of the UE that is higher in the protocol stack than a Radio Resource Control, RRC, layer; map, using a Non-Access Stratum, NAS, layer of the control plane, the network access attempt to at least one access category of the second subset of operator-defined access categories based on the set of mapping rules, wherein the second subset of operator-defined access categories is applicable to a plurality of UEs within a public land mobile network, PLMN, associated with the base station and to at least another UE for which the PLMN is not a Home PLMN, HPLMN; perform an access barring check procedure for the at least one access category based on the access barring parameters within the system information; and upon determining that access to the cell is not barred, encode a configuration message for transmission to the base station for granting access to the cell; and memory coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory configured to store the set of mapping rules. processing circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to: decode system information including access barring parameters for a plurality of access categories for accessing a cell of a base station, wherein the plurality of access categories includes a first subset of default access categories and a second subset of operator-defined access categories; decode a set of mapping rules associated with the second subset of operator-defined access categories; detect a network access attempt by a control plane layer of the UE that is higher in the protocol stack than a Radio Resource Control, RRC, layer; map, using a Non-Access Stratum, NAS, layer of the control plane, the network access attempt to at least one access category of the second subset of operator-defined access categories based on the set of mapping rules, wherein the second subset of operator-defined access categories is applicable to a plurality of UEs within a public land mobile network, PLMN, associated with the base station and to at least another UE for which the PLMN is not a Home PLMN, HPLMN; perform an access barring check procedure for the at least one access category based on the access barring parameters within the system information; and upon determining that access to the cell is not barred, encode a configuration message for transmission to the base station for granting access to the cell; and decode system information including access barring parameters for a plurality of access categories for accessing a cell of a base station, wherein the plurality of access categories includes a first subset of default access categories and a second subset of operator-defined access categories; decode a set of mapping rules associated with the second subset of operator-defined access categories; detect a network access attempt by a control plane layer of the UE that is higher in the protocol stack than a Radio Resource Control, RRC, layer; map, using a Non-Access Stratum, NAS, layer of the control plane, the network access attempt to at least one access category of the second subset of operator-defined access categories based on the set of mapping rules, wherein the second subset of operator-defined access categories is applicable to a plurality of UEs within a public land mobile network, PLMN, associated with the base station and to at least another UE for which the PLMN is not a Home PLMN, HPLMN; perform an access barring check procedure for the at least one access category based on the access barring parameters within the system information; and upon determining that access to the cell is not barred, encode a configuration message for transmission to the base station for granting access to the cell; and memory coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory configured to store the set of mapping rules.