Prediction and Estimation of Mobility Metric for Radio Access Network Optimization

A method and apparatus for estimating and/or predicting mobility metric(s) for RAN optimization. One method includes receiving a request, from at least one RAN optimization service, to provide an estimate or prediction of a mobility metric for at least one UE or group of UEs or at least one cell. The request may include attributes describing characteristics of the mobility metric. The method may then include communicating with a RAN node to request data about the at least one UE or the group of UEs or the at least one cell associated with the request, receiving the requested data, and calculating the estimate or the prediction of the mobility metric using the requested data and based on the attributes received in the request from the at least one RAN optimization service.