Exemplary methods in a network node of a radio access network (RAN) in a telecommunication system include receiving an indication from a network node in a core network that mobile terminated data is pending for a user equipment (UE), receiving a connection request from the UE, setting up a radio resource control (RRC) connection to the UE, releasing the RRC connection to the UE, setting a release timer value to a value sufficient to establish a mobile terminated communication by the network to the UE, and releasing the RRC connection to the UE when the release timer has expired. Exemplary methods in a network node of a RAN in a telecommunication system include keeping UE that is configured for long discontinuous reception (DRX) in idle mode, in RRC connected mode long enough to allow a network stored mobile terminated short message service (MT SMS) to be received by the UE.