An apparatus of an Evolved Node-B, eNB, configured for cellular Internet of Things, IoT, operations, the apparatus comprising: means to obtain a capability information of a User Equipment, UE,; means to determine that the UE connected to the eNB is configured to operate according to a Machine Type Communication, MTC, protocol based on the capability information; means responsive to determining that the UE is configured to operate according to an MTC protocol to configure the eNB to initiate a Radio Resource Control, RRC, connection suspend procedure for the IoT User Equipment, UE, the RRC connection suspend procedure including: encode, for transmission to a Mobility Management Entity, MME, over an S1 interface, a first control message to indicate a suspension of a RRC connection of the UE and to suspend a context of the UE; transmit the first control message to the MME; decode, from signaling received from the MME over the S1 interface, a second control message acknowledging the first control message; in response to receiving the second control message, encode, for transmission to the UE, a RRCConnectionRelease message to suspend the RRC connection of the UE, the RRCConnectionRelease message including one or more indicators to notify the UE to suspend the RRC connection and to store Access Stratum, AS, context, wherein during a suspension of the RRC connection, one or more suspended data radio bearers, DRB, remain established and inactive, and means to store the one or more indicators; and transmit the RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE. means to obtain a capability information of a User Equipment, UE,; means to determine that the UE connected to the eNB is configured to operate according to a Machine Type Communication, MTC, protocol based on the capability information; means responsive to determining that the UE is configured to operate according to an MTC protocol to configure the eNB to initiate a Radio Resource Control, RRC, connection suspend procedure for the IoT User Equipment, UE, the RRC connection suspend procedure including: encode, for transmission to a Mobility Management Entity, MME, over an S1 interface, a first control message to indicate a suspension of a RRC connection of the UE and to suspend a context of the UE; transmit the first control message to the MME; decode, from signaling received from the MME over the S1 interface, a second control message acknowledging the first control message; in response to receiving the second control message, encode, for transmission to the UE, a RRCConnectionRelease message to suspend the RRC connection of the UE, the RRCConnectionRelease message including one or more indicators to notify the UE to suspend the RRC connection and to store Access Stratum, AS, context, wherein during a suspension of the RRC connection, one or more suspended data radio bearers, DRB, remain established and inactive, and means to store the one or more indicators; and transmit the RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE. encode, for transmission to a Mobility Management Entity, MME, over an S1 interface, a first control message to indicate a suspension of a RRC connection of the UE and to suspend a context of the UE; transmit the first control message to the MME; decode, from signaling received from the MME over the S1 interface, a second control message acknowledging the first control message; in response to receiving the second control message, encode, for transmission to the UE, a RRCConnectionRelease message to suspend the RRC connection of the UE, the RRCConnectionRelease message including one or more indicators to notify the UE to suspend the RRC connection and to store Access Stratum, AS, context, wherein during a suspension of the RRC connection, one or more suspended data radio bearers, DRB, remain established and inactive, and means to store the one or more indicators; and transmit the RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE.