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. <EOS>