Method and arrangement for providing telecommunication services

• US 20070259664A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wattenstrom, Bengt, Blakstad Poolsaar, Birgitta
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP

Abstract

A method and arrangement for providing telecommunication services for subscribers of multiple different operators, using a single communication network controlled by an operator-independent network supervisor. Resources in said network for technically providing telecommunication services can be hired by said operators for serving their subscribers. The operators are then charged for consumed network resources, preferably on the basis of communicated data amounts, used bandwidth, and/or connection time. In this way, only one communication network is needed for offering services from multiple operators in a certain region, and unnecessary duplication of network resources can be avoided.

Claims

1. A method of providing telecommunication services for subscribers of multiple different operators, using a single communication network controlled by an operator-independent network supervisor, said operators handling subscriptions and selling the services, and said network supervisor providing the services technically, comprising the following steps:

receiving a service request from a subscriber;

identifying the operator to which the subscriber belongs;

assigning network resources needed for the requested service;

delivering the requested service using the assigned network resources;

determining the amount of network resources consumed after completing the service delivery; and

charging the identified operator of the subscriber for the network resources consumed during service delivery.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operators are charged for consumed network resources on the basis of communicated data amounts, used bandwidth, and/or connection time.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of supplying call records or the like to the operators, containing information on how much each subscriber has consumed in terms of communicated data amounts and/or connection time.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service request involves any of:

a voice call, a text message, content delivery, multimedia communication and Internet applications.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said assigned network resources include any hardware, software and/or human resources needed for the requested service.

6. An arrangement for providing telecommunication services to subscribers of multiple different operators, using a single communication network controlled by an operator-independent network supervisor, said operators handling subscriptions and selling the services, and said network supervisor providing the services technically, comprising:

means for receiving a service request from a subscriber;

means for identifying the operator to which the subscriber belongs;

means for assigning network resources needed for the requested service;

means for delivering the requested service for the subscriber using the assigned network resources;

means for determining the amount of network resources consumed after completing the service delivery; and

means for charging the identified operator of the subscriber for the network resources consumed during service delivery.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said charging means is adapted to charge operators for consumed network resources on the basis of communicated data amounts, used bandwidth, and/or connection time.

8. An arrangement according to claim 6, further comprising means for supplying call records or the like to the operators, containing information on how much each subscriber has consumed in terms of communicated data amounts and/or connection time.

9. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said service request involves any of:

a voice call, a text message, content delivery, multimedia communication and Internet applications.

10. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said network resources include any of:

hardware, software and human resources.

11. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said communication network is a mobile or cellular network according to any of:

GSM (Global Systems for Mobile communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) or WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access).

12. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said communication network is a fixed broadband access network, a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), or a PSTN (Public Switched Telephony Network).

13. An arrangement for controlling a communication network by an operator-independent network supervisor, in order to provide telecommunication services to subscribers of multiple different operators, said operators handling subscriptions and selling the services, and said network supervisor providing the services technically, wherein resources in said network needed for requested services can be hired out to said operators in order to serve their subscribers, and the operators are charged for consumed network resources.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, adapted to hire out said network resources to said operators on the basis of communicated data amounts, used bandwidth, and/or connection time.

15. A method of controlling a communication network by an operator-independent network supervisor, in order to provide telecommunication services to subscribers of multiple different operators, said operators handling subscriptions and selling the services, and said network supervisor providing the services technically, wherein resources in said network needed for requested services are hired out to said operators in order to serve their subscribers, and the operators are charged for consumed network resources.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said network resources are hired out to said operators on the basis of communicated data amounts, used bandwidth, and/or connection time.