According to techniques disclosed herein, a Visited Communication Network (VCN) (10) selectively reports usage information back to a Home Communication Network (HCN) (50) for user traffic that is offloaded at the VCN (10) to a Data Network (DN) (14) rather than routed back to the HCN (50). Among the various advantages, the reporting supports charging operations in the HCN (50) regarding the offloaded traffic. Further advantages include the application of policy control and service-authorization control jointly between the VCN (10) and the HCN (50).

This disclosure describes a video interconnect system that may establish a Video over Long Term Evolution (ViLTE) communication session between two interacting client devices. In some examples, the video interconnect system may selectively establish a ViLTE communication based on one or more rules associated with the domain information of interacting client devices, availability of network bandwidth, bandwidth consumption of a video component of the ViLTE communication, or established service agreements between telecommunication service providers of the interacting client devices. Further, the video interconnect system may facilitate generating termination charges for a video and/or audio communication session of a ViLTE communication. For example, a video component of the ViLTE communication may be charged and metered based on data usage, and an audio component of the ViLTE communication may be charged and metered based on the duration and relative location of the interacting client devices.

A Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) can be aware of whether a UE connects through a cellular or WIFI connection through a gateway. Management messages can be modified to allow the PCEF volume based online charging functionality to remain in the core network (i.e. in the P-GW/PCEF). Session management messaging between the ISWN (ISW-GW) and the core network (P-GW/PCEF) may be modified so that the core network may be notified when the ISWN moves a bearer, or flow, from one RAT to another. Alternately, PCEF volume based online charging functionality can be added to the ISWN. The PCEF of the ISWN can be tasked with performing volume based online charging while the UE is in the ISWN.

Charging systems and associated methods are disclosed that provide interim billing for a session in an IMS network. The charging system includes a charging data system that receives accounting messages from network elements serving the session in the IMS network, and generates partial CDRs for each network element based on the accounting messages. The charging data system also sets an aggregation/correlation timer. Responsive to an expiration of the aggregation/correlation timer, the charging data system aggregates the partial CDRs for each network element to generate an aggregated CDR for each network element. The charging system further includes a charging gateway system that, in further response to the expiration of the aggregation/correlation timer, correlates the aggregated CDRs to generate an interim consolidated CDR for the session, and transmits the interim consolidated CDR to a billing system. The billing system may then provide interim billing for the session based on the interim consolidated CDR.

A first network device may receive, from a second network device, a first policy control create request and may provide, to the second network device, a common policy control request trigger. The first network device may receive a second policy control create request associated with a user equipment (UE) and may cause a UE policy to be provided to the UE. The first network device may receive, from a third network device, a third policy control create request and may provide a network device policy to the third network device. The first network device may receive, from the second network device, a policy control update request based on the common policy control request trigger and may generate an updated UE policy or an updated network device policy based on the policy control update request.

Systems and methods are described herein for performing automated testing of online charging systems associated with telecommunications networks. In some embodiments, the systems and methods utilize various components associated with an online charging system, such as an event mediator, to convert data associated with test cases to be simulated by the online charging system (e.g., data from spreadsheets) into various test requests actionable during the online charging system under when simulating the test cases.

A charging processing method includes: A charging trigger device sends a charging request message to a charging processing device, where the charging request message includes redundant transmission information, that is, related information of redundant transmission used for a data connection service in a data connection session; and the charging processing device performs charging processing based on the redundant transmission information, including determining a redundant service charging processing mode, performing charging processing on a usage amount reported by the charging trigger device, sending usage amount processing indication information to the charging trigger device, or the like.

A communication method includes after a session management function network element establishes, for a terminal device, a protocol data unit session that is in a first network and that includes a first quality of service flow, and when a terminal device is handed over from the first network to a second network, if it is determined to map the first quality of service flow to a first bearer in the second network, the second message that includes an identifier of a first accounting session corresponding to the first quality of service flow and information about the first bearer may be sent to an authentication, authorization, and accounting server such that the second message indicates the authentication, authorization, and accounting server to update the first accounting session.

In general, techniques are described for programming a set of one or more pre-defined rules within the forwarding plane of a packet gateway of a mobile service provider network and caching, within control plane, a group identifier that identifies the set of programmed, pre-defined rules. The control plane may match quality of service (QoS) information of incoming subscriber service requests with the group identifier and respective subsets of the set of programmed, pre-defined rules to rapidly associate service requests with already-programmed PCC rules and thereafter install, to the forwarding plane, subscriber service-specific actions for the PCC rules.

Disclosed are systems and methods for intelligent, real-time network consumption tracking and traffic steering in fifth-generation (5G) networks via a network configuration and implementation. The disclosed hybrid network traffic steering is effectuated by using Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) and Subscriber Location Function (SLF) to route/steer fourth-generation (4G) network traffic by 5G subscribers to a 5G Charging Function (CHF) for 4G fallback network consumptions. Network currency consumption tracking is performed by the 5G CHF. The CHF dictates policy rules for 5G networks via the Policy Control Function (PCF) of the 5G Core, and dictates policy rules for 4G networks via the Policy and Charging Rules Functions (PCRF) for fallback sessions.