Name in the cause table
PDN connection does not exist
Source: 3GPP TS 24.301 V20.1.0, clause 9.9.4.4, table 9.9.4.4.1. © 3GPP Organizational Partners (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC). Official text: 24301-k10.zip in the 3GPP archive.
3GPP Scout / Reference / ESM causes / ESM cause #54
TS 24.301ESM cause
ESM cause #54: PDN connection does not exist
In plain words
The network uses cause #54, named PDN connection does not exist, at handover of a PDN connection from a non-3GPP access network connected to EPC. The network also uses it when interworking a PDU session from non-3GPP access network or NG-RAN connected to 5GCN to a PDN connection.
Our summary of the spec text quoted below.
What the spec says
When it is used
This ESM cause is used by the network at handover of a PDN connection from a non-3GPP access network connected to EPC, or at interworking of a PDU session from non-3GPP access network connected to 5GCN or from NG-RAN connected to 5GCN to a PDN connection, to indicate that the [...]
Source: 3GPP TS 24.301 V20.1.0, clause B.1. © 3GPP Organizational Partners (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC). Official text: 24301-k10.zip in the 3GPP archive.
Same cause in 5GS (TS 24.501)
TS 24.501 defines the corresponding cause for 5GS. Its page quotes the 5GS wording.
- 5GSM cause #54 (TS 24.501)
How this page was made
3GPP Scout built this page from TS 24.301 V20.1.0 as indexed on 2026-10-15. The quotes are copied from the spec, and code checks each one against the stored text and the 3GPP archive file before publishing. The plain-words line was written by an AI model (GPT-6 Sol) and checked against the quotes by a second AI model from another company (Claude Opus 5.5). The official 3GPP text governs.