MXPA98008358A - System and method for selecting a desert provider dese - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider is not operating in a band of the spectrum in a current geographic area of the subscriber provides service when the subscriber is moving outside of his or her local geographical area. When the service is started in a new geographical area (204), a review is made to determine whether this default service provider is a desired service provider (212). If the default service provider is a desired service provider, the service request is granted and the subscriber is free to place and receive calls (21

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A DESIRED SERVICE PROVIDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more specifically to a system and method for selecting a desired service provider in a wireless communication system. 2. Related Technology The first generation of cellular technology, the advanced mobile phone system (AMPS) has enjoyed great success in the telecommunications industry. In fact, the AMPS has become so successful that the demands for its service are exceeding even more the available capacity in certain metropolitan areas. New technologies for personal communications are emerging taking advantage of the high demand for mobile communications and try to offer services and / or improved performance. One of these new technologies is the personal communication service (PCS). Several systems have been implemented to provide PCS functionality. A common service is the CT-2 service (cordless phone-2), which is being adopted as a norm in many countries. When the technology is from AMPS or PCS, the equipment and service provider market is mainly dominated by a small number of vendors. However, as demands increase, new players continue to enter the market to offer products and services. To allow multiple carriers to share the bandwidth of available communications, the spectrum is divided and distributed among the various carriers. For example, in current AMPS implementations, the frequency spectrum is divided into two frequency bands. These are referred to as the A side and the B side of the frequency spectrum. For the PCS, it is contemplated that the spectrum is divided into 6 different frequency bands called bands A, B, C, D, E, and F. Another recent phenomenon that began to emerge among vendors is the reseller service provider. A service reseller who plans to enter the communications market purchases communications services from a primary provider and resells the service to their own customers, or subscribers. Typically, as a mobile subscriber travels (or "moves") from one cell to the next, their service is transferred to the bearer in the new cell. Traditionally, the carrier used by the subscriber occupies the same portion of the frequency spectrum from cell to cell. Therefore, as the subscriber moves to a new cell, there is no need to change the frequency of operation of the subscriber's mobile phone. However, when the service provider is a reseller company, the service provider may have provisions with different carriers in different geographical areas. Therefore, as the subscriber of the reseller provider moves from one region to the next, the primary carrier may change and thus the portion of the distributed frequency spectrum to handle the subscriber's call. When this occurs, the subscriber has to manually switch the frequency to the correct band that is used by the carrier in the new region. This can be achieved by manually reprogramming the subscriber's own phone (also referred to as a mobile terminal, or mobile phone terminal).

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a system and method for determining whether a desired subscriber service provider is operating on one side of the spectrum in a current geographic subscriber area when the subscriber is moving outside of their local geographic area. When you are traveling outside of your local geographic area, the subscriber initiates a service request to a service provider in your current geographic area. This request can be made by activating the mobile phone or initiating a telephone call. This request is made, by default, to the service provider in the current geographical area serving next to the spectrum over which the subscriber typically operates. The service provider is referred to as the default service provider. First, a review is made to determine if this default service provider is a desired service provider. That is, it is determined if the default service provider is the same service provider desired or if the default service provider has a service agreement with the reseller through which the subscriber obtains the service. If the default service provider is a desired service provider, the service request is granted and the subscriber is free to place and receive calls. If, on the other hand, the default service provider is not a desired service provider, it is determined whether a desired service provider is available in another band of the spectrum in the current geographical area. If a desired service provider is not available in another band of the spectrum in the current geographical area, the subscriber is given the option to continue the service with the default service provider. However, if a desired service provider is available in another band of the spectrum in the current geographic area, the subscriber (and / or his mobile phone) is thus notified. A message or other indication is provided, indicating that the desired service provider is available in another band of the spectrum in the current geographical area. The message may inform the subscriber to switch bands, or the message may inform the subscriber's telephone to switch bands so that the subscriber does not need to take any special steps to obtain the service. An advantage of the invention is that the subscriber can obtain service from a desired service provider in a geographical area outside (ie, far from the local) without taking any special action. The subscriber does not need to reprogram his mobile phone. In addition, the subscriber still does not need to know that the change has been made and the subscriber does not need to track service providers in various areas of travel. Another advantage is that when the subscriber moves from one geographic area to another while engaging in a communication, the change can be made without the interruption of the communication service. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Also, the digit to the left of a reference number identifies the drawing where the reference number first appears. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary environment of the invention. Figure 2 is an operational flow chart illustrating a process through which a desired service provider is selected in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is an operational flow chart illustrating a process by which a local location record determines whether a desired service provider is available in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process by which the mobile telephone automatically accesses the desired service provider in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES 1. General View and Discussion of the Invention The present invention is directed to a system and method for selecting a desired subscriber service provider in a wireless communication system, such as a cellular communication system. More specifically, the system and the method provide the subscriber with the service through their desired service provider without considering the spectrum side over which that provider is operating in the subscriber's current geographical area. According to the invention, a system and a method determine whether the subscriber is requesting service from a desired wireless service provider in the current geographical area of the subscriber. If so, the service request is recorded. If not, the system and the method determine whether the service is available from the desired service provider on a different side of the spectrum.

The manner in which this is achieved is described in detail later. 2. Example Environment Before describing the invention in greater detail, it is useful to describe an exemplary environment in which the invention can be implemented. In the broadest sense, the invention can be implemented in a wireless communication network, where it is necessary to make the channel or frequency band selection. An example of such a wireless communication network is a cellular telephone communication network, an example of which is the well-known advanced mobile telephone system (AMPS). Another example is the cellular network of personal communication system. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless telecommunication network 100 that can serve as an exemplary environment of the invention. The telecommunication network includes cell sites 102, cell site controllers 104, mobile switches 106, local location register 108, radio line groups 111, and signaling links 112. Subscribers communicate through this network 100 using mobile telephone terminals 1 10 (for example, cell phones in this environment), which preferably are interconnected with the network 100 through an air interface 1 14. Each cell site 102 includes a radio transmitter that covers a particular area for that cell site 102. The call coverage area for a given cell site 102 is the area in which a subscriber can access the telecommunications network 100 through that particular cell site 102. Associated with one or more cell sites 102 is a cell site controller 104 (sometimes referred to as a base station controller). One function of the cell site controller 104 is to determine the coverage area of the call for each associated cell site 102. In addition to determining the coverage area, the cell site controllers 104 are responsible for reviewing each of their sites associated cells 102. The cell site controllers 104 also calculate the resource capacity for the network elements they control, such as the associated cell sites 102 and the line groups 1 1 1 (described below). The group that includes the cell site controller and its associated cell sites 102 is usually referred to as a mobile subscriber group (MSG). Several MSGs connected to a mobile switch 106 are referred to as a base station subsystem. A group of one or more cell site controllers 104 is controlled and reviewed by the mobile switch 106 (sometimes referred to as a mobile service switching center, or MSC). The mobile switch 106 is a switch or switching system that provides communication paths to other networks. For example, mobile switch 106 may communicate with another communication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The mobile switch 106 may also be used to calculate the resource capacity and the HDSIA data for the associated cell site controllers 104. The mobile switch 106 may also include a visitor location register (VLR) for storing the subscriber information mobiles that move in this coverage area. The entire telecommunications network 100 is reviewed and controlled by the local location register 108. The local location register 108 is a database containing information regarding the mobile subscriber such as its access capabilities, subscribed services and supplementary services. The local location register 108 can determine the coverage area for each of the cell sites 102 throughout the network 100, keeps track of the traffic in the telecommunications network 100, and maintains a record of the state of the telecommunications network 100. The local location register 1 08 can also calculate the HDSIA resource and data capacity for the mobile switches 106 it controls. . The communication between the various network elements described above occurs on line groups 1 1 1 and signaling links 1 12. Line groups 1 1 1 transmit the call traffic between the various elements of the telecommunications network 100. Each group line 1 1 1 can transmit one or more calls on one or more link lines (not shown). The link? Signaling 1.12. transmit control and status information between the various network elements of the telecommunications network 1 00. The control information includes the configuration of the cell site such as the coverage area. The status information includes alarm data as described above. An example of a signaling link 1 12 is a signaling link SS7 (signaling system 7). A subscriber can communicate using the telecommunications network 1 00 through a mobile telephone (or a mobile telephone terminal) such as mobile telephones 1 1 0. Communication path can be an air interface such as air interfaces 1 14 When the subscriber makes a call, a connection is established between the subscriber's particular mobile phone 1 1 0 and the particular cell site 1 12 through the air interface 1 14. For AMPS cellular networks, the spectrum distributed to Through FCC has a bandwidth of 50 M Hz. This spectrum is divided into two equal parts, named as system A and system B. Systems A and B each have a distribution of 416 pairs of frequency with a separation of 30 kHz chl. The present invention is described in terms of example environment. Specifically, the invention is described in terms of an AMPS network having a spectrum divided into two sides, or bands: side A and side B. The description of these terms is provided for convenience and ease of description only. The invention is not intended to be limited to the application in this example environment. In fact, after reading the following description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how to implement the invention in alternative environments such as an AMPS environment having more than two bands., the PCS environment or in other communication networks. 3. Modes of the Invention As stated above, both the AMPS and the PCS provide a spectrum that is divided into bands (referred to as the A side and the B side for current AMPS networks). Each band is handled by a designated service provider. Subscriber mobile telephone 110 is configured to give access to the subscriber's desired service provider on one side of the spectrum. In this way, if the desired service provider of the subscriber is on the A side of the spectrum, for example, that mobile telephone 1 10 of the subscriber attempts to connect to the A side of the spectrum without considering the area from which the call is made. .

However, when the subscriber's service provider is a reseller, a subscriber's desired service provider may change from one area to the next. In this way, when the subscriber moves to a different geographical area, he may need access to a different side of the spectrum to reach his desired service provider. Traditionally, this was done by requiring the subscriber to "reprogram" his 1 1 0 mobile phone to access the other side of the spectrum. In this way, for example, with a conventional network, when a subscriber whose local carrier (desired service provider) is on the A side is moved to an area where the desired service provider is on the B side, the subscriber must reschedule your mobile phone 1 10. If the subscriber does not reprogram the mobile phone 1 10, the service will be provided by a different carrier to the desired service provider, and perhaps to substantially increased fees. This other carrier is referred to as an "outside service provider" in this document. In accordance with the invention, a system and method for automatically reprogramming the subscriber's mobile telephone 1 1 0 to access the correct side of the spectrum are provided, without considering whether the correct side is different from the side on which the provider operates. usual designated service of the subscriber. In this section of the document, several alternative modalities are presented and described. Figure 2 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the invention, through which the subscriber's desired service provider has access without considering the spectrum side over which the service provider is operating. wanted. In step 204, the subscriber initiates a service request from the telecommunications network (e.g., network 100). This request can be initiated by the subscriber by turning on the mobile telephone 1 10, originating a telephone call using the mobile telephone 1 10, introducing a new geographical area, or other similar action. In step 208, the mobile telephone 1 10 requests access at the local site of the spectrum subscriber. That is, the request is made on the side of the spectrum in which the subscriber's telephone normally operates when the subscriber is in their normal or local geographic area. This request results in a service request to the service provider that provides service on that side of the spectrum in the current geographic area of the subscriber. This service provider is referred to as a "default service provider" through this document. Depending on the provisions that the reseller has with the default service provider, the default service provider may or may not be the desired service provider for the geographic area from which the subscriber is placing this call.

In step 212, it is determined whether the default service provider is the subscriber's desired service provider. In one modality, this is accomplished by determining whether the desired service provider is operating on the spectrum side over which the service was requested in the current geographical area. This can be done using the identification (I D) of the subscriber as a key to look up service provider information in a database. In another modality, this is achieved by determining the identification of the default service provider and determining if the default service provider is a desired service provider. One way to do this is to perform a search using a list of desired service providers for the subscriber. If the default service provider is the subscriber's desired service provider, the service is granted as illustrated in step 216 and normal registration actions are taken by the local location register 108. If, on the other hand, the Default service provider is not the subscriber's desired service provider, it is determined if there is a desired service provider on the other side of the spectrum. This is illustrated in step 220. If a desired service provider is not available on the other side of the spectrum, access is granted to the default service provider and normal registration actions or local location registration 1 08 are taken. However, if a desired service provider is available on the other side of the spectrum in the current geographic area of the subscriber, a message is sent to the subscriber giving instructions to switch to the side of the spectrum on which the desired service provider is operating. This is illustrated in step 228. In a mode of step 228, the subscriber is required to reprogram the telephone to operate on the desired side of the spectrum. In this mode, the subscriber can be notified using audio text, or alpha numeric (such as a short textual message) or another technique to inform the subscriber of the correct side of the spectrum. In another embodiment of step 228, the process is automated so that the subscriber does not need to take any specific action. In one embodiment of this automatic process, the mobile telephone 1 10 is instructed to switch to the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating. This can be achieved by sending an instruction, command or other message to the mobile telephone 1 10 of the subscriber instructing the mobile telephone 1 10 to switch the sides. This can be done using air activation of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), air activation of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Group Special Mobile Unsupervised Supplemental Service Data (GSM USSD), or short message teleadministration techniques, as well as through other techniques. In response to the instruction employed in step 228, the mobile telephone 1 10 of the subscriber resets the default service provider (i.e., the default side of the spectrum) to the side over which the desired service provider is available. This occurs in step 232. When required, the mobile telephone 1 10 initiates a new access through the available service provider available. In one embodiment, the process described above is accomplished by using additional information available at the subscriber's local HLR. In this embodiment, information such as bearers, mobile switch identifications, spectrum indicators or other desired information may be used to determine whether the default bearer is a desired service provider and, if not, whether a desired service provider is available in the geographical area.

In a modality, when the subscriber initiates the service in an external geographic area (ie, a geographic area different from the local geographic area of the subscriber), a notification message is sent to the local location register 1 08 that serves the local area of the subscriber. subscriber. Included in this message is an identification of the service provider available to serve the subscriber in the current geographical area. In one embodiment, this identification is made using a mobile switch identification (ID) or other identification that can be used to determine the identification of the service provider. The local location register 108 determines whether this available service provider is a desired service provider. In one modality, this is achieved by comparing this identification with a list of desired service providers. When the default service provider is not a desired service provider, the local location register 108 determines whether a desired service provider exists in this geographic area and, if so, the spectrum side on which it operates. In one modality, this is achieved through a simple search table. The process used by the local location register 1 08 in these embodiments is now described with reference to Figure 3. In step 304, the mobile switch identification is determined from the message. In one embodiment, this is achieved by retrieving the record containing the identification (I D) of the mobile switch from the message. In a modality, if the record is not found, an error condition exists and the process stops. In a step 308, the I D of the mobile switch is used to determine whether the service provider is a desired service provider. In one embodiment, this is achieved by determining the identity of the default service provider from the identification of the mobile switch and then comparing this identity with the desired service provider (or simply by comparing its identification). If the service provider identified by the mobile switch identification is a desired service provider, then the process is completed and the registration can continue as is normally done, as illustrated in step 312. If, the identified service provider does not is a desired service provider, the local location registry 108 checks its database to determine if a service provider on another side of the spectrum is a desired service provider. This is illustrated in step 316. In a mode where there are only two sides of the spectrum and only one service provider per side, this may be a simple Boolean or logical indicator that if the other service provider is a service provider wanted. If there is a desired service provider on another side of the spectrum, the subscriber (or subscriber's mobile phone 110 in an automatic mode) is notified to switch to that side of the spectrum. If a desired service provider does not exist in that geographic area, a notification is sent to the subscriber to indicate this. The notification process can be achieved according to a number of different modalities. In one mode, a call is placed to the subscriber notifying him that only an outside service provider is available and this may result in additional charges for the service. This can be done using a voice call that presents texts to the subscriber stating that the only service provider is an external service provider, or using alphanumeric signals that can be displayed in an alphanumeric presentation on the mobile phone 1 10. Alternatively, you can send a command to the mobile phone 1 10 to provide an indication via the mobile telephone 1 10 that the only available service provider is an external service provider. This indication may include, for example, an indicator light, an indication of presentation on a screen of the mobile telephone 1 10, a specific tone, or other indication. In another mode, the notification process may include instructions on how to register with the outside service provider. In this case, the subscriber has the choice of not making any calls, paying higher prices to an external service provider, or registering with the external service provider before making a call. Although the process described above is done through the local location register 1 08, it can be easily performed by a physically or logically separated entity. In these embodiments, the separate entity may use data already existing in the local location register 208 to avoid duplication and maintenance of unnecessary data. In other alternative modalities, the determination and selection of the desired service provider are achieved through a mobile phone search of the spectrum. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a process through which this choice is made according to one modality. In step 404, the subscriber initiates a service request from the communications network (for example, from network 1 00). This request can be initiated by the subscriber by turning on the mobile telephone 1 1 0, originating a telephone call using a mobile telephone 1 1 0, introducing a new geographical area, or other similar action. In step 408, the mobile telephone 1 1 0 requests access with the default wireless service provider. In other words, the mobile phone requests access with the wireless service provider that is normally used by the subscriber in the subscriber's local territory. Depending on the provisions that the reseller 5 has with the default service provider, the default service provider may or may not be the desired service provider for the geographic area from which the subscriber is placing this call. In step 412, it is determined whether the service provider by, t ^ or omission is the subscriber's desired service provider. If the default service provider is the subscriber's desired service provider, the service is granted and normal registration actions are taken by the local location register 108. This is illustrated in step 424. 15 Yes, on the other hand , the default service provider is not the subscriber's desired service provider, the mobile telephone 1 10 is automatically switched to a different side of the spectrum and the process known in steps 408 and 412 is repeated. This time, in step 408, the petition is not made to the omission, but rather makes the service provider on the current side of the spectrum. This process is repeated for each side of the spectrum until there is access to a side on which a desired service provider operates. This is illustrated by steps 416 and 420 and line 462. 25 flow If not available any desired service provider after they have investigated all sides of the spectrum, in step 428 the subscriber is notified that are only available external service providers. This process is similar to that described above with reference to Figure 2, steps 228 and 2323. Conclusions Since several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented only by way of example, and not limitation. In this manner, the scope and spirit of the present invention should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. - A wireless communication system operating in a spectrum that has at least two sides, each side having a service provider operating therein, a system for providing service to a scrolling subscriber in a current geographic area outside of an area subscriber's home, the system comprising: means for determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider operates on the spectrum side that has been accessed by the subscriber; means to determine whether the desired service provider operates on any other side of the spectrum in the current geographical area; and means for providing service to the subscriber through the desired service provider if the desired service provider is available in the current geographical area.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for providing service to the subscriber through the desired service provider comprises means for notifying the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the means for notifying the subscriber comprises means for sending a message to the subscriber indicating on which side of the spectrum the desired service provider is operating.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the means for notifying the subscriber comprises means for sending an audible message to the subscriber notifying the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the means for notifying the subscriber comprises means for sending an alphanumeric text message to the subscriber notifying the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for providing service to the subscriber through the desired service provider comprises means for sending commands to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch to the spectrum side over which the Desired service provider is operating.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the means for sending command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber commutes to the side of the spectrum on which the desired service provider is operating, comprise means for sending an activation message on the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air to the mobile telephone instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating.

8. - The system according to claim 6, wherein the means for sending command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch on the side on which the desired service provider is operating, comprise means for sending an activation message on the air of the subscriber. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to the mobile telephone instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the means for sending command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch on the spectrum side on which the desired service provider is operating, comprise means for sending a data message. Group Special Unsecured Supplementary Service (GSM USSD) to the mobile telephone instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider operates on the spectrum side accessed by the subscriber comprises means for using the information received from the subscriber to search for provider information. of service in a database. 1 1 .- The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining whether a desired service provider of the subscriber operates on the spectrum side accessed by the subscriber, comprises means for determining whether a service provider desired by the subscriber in the current geographic area is a desired service provider. . 12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining whether a desired service provider accessed by the subscriber in the current geographic area is a desired service provider, comprises means for determining an identity of said provider. of service accessed from a mobile switch identification and means for comparing said identity of the service provider accessed with an identity of the desired service provider. 1 3. A wireless communication system that operates in a spectrum that has at least two sides, each side having a service provider operating therein, a method of providing service to a subscriber of displacement in a current geographic area outside of a subscriber's local area, the method comprising: determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider operates on the spectrum side that has been accessed by the subscriber; determine if the desired service provider operates on any other side of the spectrum in the current geographical area; and providing service to the subscriber via the desired service provider if the desired service provider is available in the current geographical area. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of providing service to the subscriber through the desired service provider comprises a step to notify the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of notifying the subscriber comprises a step to send a message to the subscriber indicating on which side of the spectrum the desired service provider is operating. 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step for notifying the subscriber comprises the step of sending an audio message to the subscriber notifying the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum. 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step for notifying the subscriber comprises a step for sending an alphanumeric text message to the subscriber by notifying the subscriber that the desired service provider is operating on a different side of the spectrum. 18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step to provide service to the subscriber through the desired service provider comprises the step of sending command to the mobile phone of the subscriber to switch on the spectrum side over which the Desired service provider is operating. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step to send command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating, comprises a step to send a message of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air activation to the mobile telephone by instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating. 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step to send command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating, comprises a step to send a message of Activation over the air of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to the mobile telephone by instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating. 21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step to send command to the mobile telephone of the subscriber to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating, comprises a step to send a message of Group Special Mobile Unsecured Supplementary Service Data (GSM USSD) to the mobile telephone instructing the mobile telephone to switch on the spectrum side over which the desired service provider is operating. 22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider operates on the spectrum side accessed by the subscriber comprises the step of using the information received from the subscriber to search the subscriber. information of the service provider in a database. 23. The method according to claim 13, wherein The step of determining whether a subscriber's desired service provider operates on the spectrum side accessed by the subscriber comprises the step of determining whether a service provider accessed by the subscriber in the current geographical area is a desired service provider. 24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the • step of determining whether a service provider accessed by the subscriber in a current geographical area is a desired service provider, comprises the step of determining an identity of the service provider accessed from an identification of 15 mobile switching and means for comparing said identification of the service provider accessed with an identification of the desired service provider.