diff --git a/features/cellular/TESTS/socket/udp/main.cpp b/features/cellular/TESTS/socket/udp/main.cpp
index d8013ab846..00efa7083c 100644
--- a/features/cellular/TESTS/socket/udp/main.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/TESTS/socket/udp/main.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ static void udp_network_stack()
     cellular.set_sim_pin(MBED_CONF_APP_CELLULAR_SIM_PIN);
 #ifdef MBED_CONF_APP_APN
     CellularNetwork *network = cellular.get_network();
-    TEST_ASSERT(network->set_credentials(MBED_CONF_APP_APN) == NSAPI_ERROR_OK);
+    TEST_ASSERT(network->set_credentials(MBED_CONF_APP_APN, MBED_CONF_APP_USERNAME, MBED_CONF_APP_PASSWORD) == NSAPI_ERROR_OK);
 #endif
     cellular_target_state = CellularConnectionFSM::STATE_CONNECTED;
     TEST_ASSERT(cellular.continue_to_state(cellular_target_state) == NSAPI_ERROR_OK);
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularNetwork.h b/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularNetwork.h
index fed04d257e..6600c17167 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularNetwork.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/API/CellularNetwork.h
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ public:
      *
      *  @return              NSAPI_ERROR_OK on success
      *                       NSAPI_ERROR_NO_CONNECTION if fails to find suitable context to activate or activation failed (if not already activated)
-     *                       NSAPI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED if NetworkStack was not found
+     *                       NSAPI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED if NetworkStack was not found or cellular device does not support authentication
      *                       NSAPI_ERROR_AUTH_FAILURE if password and username were provided and authentication to network failed
      *                       Also if PPP mode
      *                       NSAPI_ERROR_DEVICE_ERROR on failure and check more error from nsapi_ppp_connect(...)
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularBase.h b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularBase.h
index e5098e1f28..d4ef52d272 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularBase.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularBase.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ public:
     enum SupportedFeature {
         AT_CGSN_WITH_TYPE, // AT+CGSN without type is likely always supported similar to AT+GSN
         AT_CGDATA, // alternative is to support only ATD*99***<cid>#
+        AT_CGAUTH, // APN authentication AT commands supported
         SUPPORTED_FEATURE_END_MARK // must be last element in the array of features
     };
     static void set_unsupported_features(const SupportedFeature *unsupported_features);
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.cpp
index 6168eb5df6..09aaa15877 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.cpp
@@ -210,6 +210,9 @@ nsapi_error_t AT_CellularNetwork::set_credentials(const char *apn,
     }
 
     if (username && (len = strlen(username)) > 0) {
+        if (!is_supported(AT_CGAUTH)) { // APN authentication is needed with username/password
+            return NSAPI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED;
+        }
         _uname = (char *)malloc(len * sizeof(char) + 1);
         if (_uname) {
             memcpy(_uname, username, len + 1);
@@ -279,10 +282,7 @@ nsapi_error_t AT_CellularNetwork::activate_context()
     nsapi_error_t err = NSAPI_ERROR_OK;
 
     // try to find or create context with suitable stack
-    if (get_context()) {
-        // try to authenticate user before activating or modifying context
-        err = do_user_authentication();
-    } else {
+    if (!get_context()) {
         err = NSAPI_ERROR_NO_CONNECTION;
     }
 
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ nsapi_error_t AT_CellularNetwork::activate_context()
     _at.resp_stop();
 
     if (!_is_context_active) {
+        // authenticate before activating or modifying context
+        if (do_user_authentication() != NSAPI_ERROR_OK) {
+            tr_error("Cellular authentication failed!");
+            return _at.unlock_return_error();
+        }
+
         tr_info("Activate PDP context %d", _cid);
         _at.cmd_start("AT+CGACT=1,");
         _at.write_int(_cid);
@@ -509,6 +515,9 @@ nsapi_error_t AT_CellularNetwork::do_user_authentication()
 {
     // if user has defined user name and password we need to call CGAUTH before activating or modifying context
     if (_pwd && _uname) {
+        if (!is_supported(AT_CGAUTH)) {
+            return NSAPI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED;
+        }
         _at.cmd_start("AT+CGAUTH=");
         _at.write_int(_cid);
         _at.write_int(_authentication_type);
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.h b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.h
index 3e01f4db46..80b5665b83 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/AT/AT_CellularNetwork.h
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ protected:
      */
     virtual nsapi_error_t set_access_technology_impl(RadioAccessTechnology op_rat);
 
+    /** APN user authentication
+     *
+     *  @return       NSAPI_ERROR_OK on success
+     *                NSAPI_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED on authentication not supported by cellular device
+     *                NSAPI_ERROR_AUTH_FAILURE on authentication to network failed
+     */
     virtual nsapi_error_t do_user_authentication();
 private:
     //  "NO CARRIER" urc
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BC95/QUECTEL_BC95.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BC95/QUECTEL_BC95.cpp
index 94b6b635c1..85a6c2c34a 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BC95/QUECTEL_BC95.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BC95/QUECTEL_BC95.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,14 @@
 using namespace events;
 using namespace mbed;
 
+static const AT_CellularBase::SupportedFeature unsupported_features[] =  {
+    AT_CellularBase::AT_CGAUTH, // BC95_AT_Commands_Manual_V1.9
+    AT_CellularBase::SUPPORTED_FEATURE_END_MARK
+};
+
 QUECTEL_BC95::QUECTEL_BC95(EventQueue &queue) : AT_CellularDevice(queue)
 {
+    AT_CellularBase::set_unsupported_features(unsupported_features);
 }
 
 QUECTEL_BC95::~QUECTEL_BC95()
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.cpp
index 5a5140725b..6ed0bbd9e8 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.cpp
@@ -111,3 +111,24 @@ nsapi_error_t QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork::set_access_technology_impl(RadioAcce
 
     return _at.unlock_return_error();
 }
+
+nsapi_error_t QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork::do_user_authentication()
+{
+    if (_pwd && _uname) {
+        _at.cmd_start("AT+QICSGP=");
+        _at.write_int(_cid);
+        _at.write_int(1); // IPv4
+        _at.write_string(_apn);
+        _at.write_string(_uname);
+        _at.write_string(_pwd);
+        _at.write_int(_authentication_type);
+        _at.cmd_stop();
+        _at.resp_start();
+        _at.resp_stop();
+        if (_at.get_last_error() != NSAPI_ERROR_OK) {
+            return NSAPI_ERROR_AUTH_FAILURE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return NSAPI_ERROR_OK;
+}
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.h b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.h
index 1504b9d1c5..292bcaf193 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.h
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/targets/QUECTEL/BG96/QUECTEL_BG96_CellularNetwork.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ protected:
     virtual nsapi_error_t set_access_technology_impl(RadioAccessTechnology opRat);
 
     virtual bool get_modem_stack_type(nsapi_ip_stack_t requested_stack);
+
+    virtual nsapi_error_t do_user_authentication();
 };
 
 } // namespace mbed
diff --git a/features/cellular/framework/targets/TELIT/HE910/TELIT_HE910.cpp b/features/cellular/framework/targets/TELIT/HE910/TELIT_HE910.cpp
index 8e317b4d69..d478b5161e 100644
--- a/features/cellular/framework/targets/TELIT/HE910/TELIT_HE910.cpp
+++ b/features/cellular/framework/targets/TELIT/HE910/TELIT_HE910.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ using namespace events;
 
 static const AT_CellularBase::SupportedFeature unsupported_features[] =  {
     AT_CellularBase::AT_CGSN_WITH_TYPE, // HE910/UE910/UL865/UE866 AT Commands Reference Guide Rev. 11-2006-10-14
+    AT_CellularBase::AT_CGAUTH, // HE910/UE910/UL865/UE866 AT Commands Reference Guide Rev. 11-2006-10-14
     AT_CellularBase::SUPPORTED_FEATURE_END_MARK
 };