A method performed by a gNB configured to operate in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, by a central unit-user plane, CU-UP, of the gNB from a core network, downlink, DL, data to be transmitted to a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE is in a radio resource control, RRC, inactive state in which i) the gNB stores a context of the UE, ii) a connection between the gNB and the core network is maintained, and iii) an F1 connection between a central unit, CU, of the gNB and a distributed-unit, DU, of the gNB is disconnected; buffering, by the CU-UP, the DL data based on that the CU-UP does not store F1-DL tunnel endpoint identifiers, TEIDs, for the DL data; transmitting, by the CU-UP to a central unit-control plane, CU-CP, of the gNB, a DL data notification message based on receiving the DL data; receiving, by the CU-UP from the CU-CP, information related to discarding of the DL data based on a radio access network, RAN, paging failure for the UE in the RRC inactive state; and discarding, by the CU-UP, the DL data, upon receiving the information, wherein the context of the UE is kept in the gNB upon discarding the DL data, wherein the CU-CP is a logical node constituting the gNB that hosts a radio resource control, RRC, protocol and a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP-C protocol, wherein the CU-UP is a logical node constituting the gNB that hosts a PDCP-U protocol, and wherein the connection between the gNB and the core network includes i) an NG-C connection between the CU-CP and an access and mobility management function, AMF, in the core network and ii) an NG-U connection between the CU-UP and a user plane function, UPF, in the core network. receiving, by a central unit-user plane, CU-UP, of the gNB from a core network, downlink, DL, data to be transmitted to a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE is in a radio resource control, RRC, inactive state in which i) the gNB stores a context of the UE, ii) a connection between the gNB and the core network is maintained, and iii) an F1 connection between a central unit, CU, of the gNB and a distributed-unit, DU, of the gNB is disconnected; buffering, by the CU-UP, the DL data based on that the CU-UP does not store F1-DL tunnel endpoint identifiers, TEIDs, for the DL data; transmitting, by the CU-UP to a central unit-control plane, CU-CP, of the gNB, a DL data notification message based on receiving the DL data; receiving, by the CU-UP from the CU-CP, information related to discarding of the DL data based on a radio access network, RAN, paging failure for the UE in the RRC inactive state; and discarding, by the CU-UP, the DL data, upon receiving the information, wherein the context of the UE is kept in the gNB upon discarding the DL data, wherein the CU-CP is a logical node constituting the gNB that hosts a radio resource control, RRC, protocol and a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP-C protocol, wherein the CU-UP is a logical node constituting the gNB that hosts a PDCP-U protocol, and wherein the connection between the gNB and the core network includes i) an NG-C connection between the CU-CP and an access and mobility management function, AMF, in the core network and ii) an NG-U connection between the CU-UP and a user plane function, UPF, in the core network.