DE102004045032A1 - Mobile radio service offering method involves permitting caller of network operator customers to obtain tariff for callers and other networks of countries and also telephone number of caller - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves controlling mobile radio services, using technical mechanisms which are aligned with core network. The telephone number of customer of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is received from national mobile number blocks that is provided by regular countries. A caller of MVNO customers is permitted to obtain the tariff for the callers and other networks of the countries and also the telephone number of caller.

Description

Current situation

The Model of the "Mobile Virtual Network Operator ", also called MVNO, is already practiced in different countries. This typically involves a comparably complex core network (also called Corenet CN) needed on the MVNO's side. The Network elements of the CN control the services for the MVNO customers, e.g. the Transferring calls to subscribers who may also be in other networks or caching and feeding from SMS (Short Message Service). The contact with the end customer, equipped with mobile phones or generally with mobile devices are, as far as the MVNO customers are in the country of the MVNO via the air interface the base stations (BTS) of a host network HN (in the same country) made with the network of the MVNO at least logically connected is. The HN possesses in this model a radio net by the BTS supported becomes. Typically, the HN also has a CN of all services for the Customers of the HN are controlled, but less the services for the customers of the MVNO.

Of the MVNO typically has an agreement only with a single HN for national roaming, i. an agreement according to which the customers of the MVNO use the radio network of the HN allowed to, um from there to the CN of the MVNO to be connected. The CN of the MVNO takes over after all the control of the original ones and terminating mobile applications in conjunction with the terminals the MVNO customer.

Of the MVNO needed at least one depending on the breadth of his service offer minimal features of his CN. The HLR / AC (Home Location Register and Authentication Center), which contains all MVNO customers, including their location information, heard next to a switch or Media gateway with controller (depending on the technology) and a billing system to the minimum equipment. This can at least the incoming conversations forwarded to the called MVNO customers. Possibly. is still the establishment of a voice mail system (VMS) or a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) in the CN of the MVNO or even the Facilities for GPRS and Intelligent Networks (IN) - according to service portfolio. To these facilities and expenses belong Naturally also the operating staff and the buildings Etc.

you sees that the effort can be significant, and accordingly high is the entry threshold for one MVNO.

improvement

The here presented procedures (later called NR for short) it, CN facilities and operating staff, it already in one foreign (support) Network gives to use - just as much the typical configurations in the host networks that are for the roaming foreign Participants in a host network HN are typically set up. hereby becomes the entry barrier lowered, and you can, in particular, without significant additional effort, Conduct roaming in several HNs of the country of the MVNO. New business models are facilitated, e.g. the use of excess capacity in one or the other HN network that possibly (temporary) Special conditions for the MVNO offers. Through appropriate management facilities, the Customers may even be rebooked at short notice in the cheapest network or rebook itself after appropriate information - e.g. by an application on the SIM controlled by OTA (Over The Air) will or simply by SMS.

The MVNO HLR can or may be dedicated to MVNO customers alone by appropriate configuration both for the customers of the foreign Support network as well for the customers of the MVNO are used. The location of the HLR plays no matter as long as the routing between the support network and the HLR, according to the used IMSIs of MVNO customers. When using IMSIs from the number range of the MVNO country would be that HLR logically network in this country, and in physical placement in the country of foreign Support network from one or more bases of the MVNO country with link to the support network (logical or physical), where this linking under the control of the MVNO or the foreign support network would. If the IMSIs would be from the number range of the foreign support network, then would be the most natural Place for the HLR in the country of the support network. By appropriate routing, however, what might be under the control of the MVNO or foreign support network could be anything other country as location in question. The connection to the other CN elements would very similar can be configured the use of IP networks (also for VoIP) in HN and foreign Support network particularly elegant solutions would offer.

If IMSI and MSISDN were assigned to MVNO customers from different countries, it might be necessary to turn off a test function become. In some networks such a check could be made, which would lead to the call termination in the event of non-compliance. If a customer of the MVNO makes calls himself, of course, his MSISDN should appear on the display of the called party (CLI). In the event that the HN normally does not allow calls with different country codes in IMSI and MSISDN, the HN must be configured differently. The MSISDN, which is transmitted to the HN from the communication with the HLR of the MVNO, will contain a different country code than the IMSI which, for example, is read from the SIM card during the booking process and transmitted to the HN via the air interface. Regardless, this submitted MSISDN should be used as a CLI.

There This situation also applies to international roaming in other networks other countries can occur, and a change would be unacceptably costly, you would have to accept if necessary, that a second MSISDN is used, which corresponds to the number blocks of the foreign Belonging to the support network of the MVNO is. The transmission could depending on the network individually in favor of one or the other MSISDN respectively. The MVNO customer would have so that a 2nd MSISDN on the he could also be made available. Where the tariff question when using the 2nd ("foreign") MSISDN on calls from third countries is uncritical, since the connection anyway an international connection is and as such understood by the caller. It means that Special configurations, if any, only with the HN would be necessary. Whether the one called with his "foreign" MSISDN MVNO customer a forwarding fee from the country of the support network To pay in the country of HN is a purely business and no technical question. These costs can be over the Intercept call mix, if you give the customer this tariff specificity can not convey. Technically, such a charge not necessary for the individual call.

Of the MVNO can, especially with the help of IN or Parlay / OSA technology in the foreign support network, its customers own services that are different from those of the foreign Distinguish support network, offer. The Parlay / OSA technology would be too however, to control the services of the MVNO via an HN from "outside" would have the HN even bigger expenses to meet. If several HN would These expenses multiply accordingly and the entry threshold in such a business model increase. Besides, this would be a model where the MVNO would use the core network of HN.

Statistics about that Call behavior, such as above the frequency from national calls or international calls to specific ones Country groups or also for terminating calls can used from the typical CN elements or from the fee processing systems be properly prepared in a management system, thus a spot market similar Situation can be used economically. From the statement in which HN capacities Cheap, can with a simple SMS and with participation of the MVNO customer according to his needs the network will be changed. alternative could the process will be automated, rather than the involvement of the MVNO customer to request: e.g. through an application on the terminal or on the SIM, such as a sim tool kit application and under turn of the OTA download the application can be instructed to change to the desired network cause. The measure can for the customers are collectively transparent or completely intransparent designed. The possibilities are the instant notification of cheap minute capacities also given to allow e.g. to stimulate the call volume. If desired, can the transparency for the customer at the end of the billing period. The direct display on the terminal, for offers cheap calls, would be especially for prepaid customers a suitable form of communication.

Claims (6)

Method for offering mobile services, by a so-called MVNO, which wishes to use the radio network of a host network operator HN and also wants to save parts of a core network CN, characterized in that a) the technical equipment required for the support and control of the mobile services, which typically is the CN can be used from a foreign network to which the HN has either already established roaming or can be set up to roam by the usual standard methods, and b) the MSISDN (the number under which the MVNO customer called his callers MVNO customers residing in the country of the HN are taken from the national (mobile) number blocks issued by the regulator of that country and allowing the callers of the MVNO customers to set a national tariff for the call also from other nets of the country, after the usual length of the digit analysis in the various network facilities, and this can also be detected by the structure of the telephone number (MSISDN) by the caller himself. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the incoming connections or messages for the MVNO customers to continue processing and / or forwarding to the called MVNO customers from a variety of source networks from the country of HN or from other countries either directly or indirectly the foreign support network of the MVNO for controlling the respective service are supplied, so that in case of indirect supply a connection network by routing Agreement that feeds the news and connections to the foreign support network, or that in the case of direct delivery a functionally more or less minimized MVNO headquarters in the country of HN will be set up to carry out this task of forwarding with or without preprocessing, and in both cases the delivery , the direct and indirect, the foreign support network finally the forwarding and / or further processing in the sense of the respective service performs, such as the forwarding to the HN network, if there is the called customer or even the storage of a message in an establishment of the support network or in the minimalist center of the MVNO in the country of the HN or also the collection of billing data for end customers or other network operators. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that that the SIM card of an MVNO customer contains an IMSI, the different from the standard configuration another country code number (for example, the country in which is foreign Support Network of the MVNO) as the MSISDN of the MVNO customer, where the MSISDN nevertheless as so-called CLI (Calling Line Identification Number) on the display of a subscriber called by the MVNO customer, which can be in any other network can appear. Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized that the MVNO with more than one HN in the same country has a roaming agreement such that the MVNO offers from, e.g. inexpensive temporary, capacities the radio network of an HN can be used by its (MVNO) customers, the MVNO using SMS or with additional applications of the SIM ToolKit or in connection with OTA (Over The Air) downloads the terminals his customers in the network can book or preferred the booking can cause this. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that that the MVNO uses management procedures that are supported by appropriate Preparation of statistical user behavior data contained in the (support) network components available can be made so as to best suit its customers in terms of expected Select usage, so that he can book them specifically in the (cheaper) HN to so with little communication effort, e.g. via SMS or OTA, the offers to use efficiently. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized that the measures for monitoring according to legal regulations, such as the according to the German Basic Law Article 10, either in the HN network or at the national headquarters of the MVNO or the MVNO contracted network in the country HN or foreign Support network of the MVNO or in a combination of the mentioned possibilities be performed can, although by merging partial information visible in the various subsystems be, the overall function can be built.