There is provided an end point device including one or more processors configured to establish a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection with an intermediate networking device, communicate, to the intermediate networking device, an end point device credential that uniquely identifies the end point device, access a WWAN using a single user account associated with the end point device credential and the intermediate networking device, transmit network traffic to a forwarding layer of the intermediate networking device for forwarding the network traffic to the WWAN according to an access network forwarding policy, and communicate signals to indicate a current geographic location of the end point device.

There is provided an end point device including one or more processors configured to establish a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection with an intermediate networking device, communicate, to the intermediate networking device, an end point device credential that uniquely identifies the end point device, access a WWAN using a single user account associated with the end point device credential and the intermediate networking device, transmit network traffic to a forwarding layer of the intermediate networking device for forwarding the network traffic to the WWAN according to an access network forwarding policy, and communicate signals to indicate a current geographic location of the end point device.

A method and system for providing distributed network access point installation and management. A network provider installs and/or operates a plurality of access points at locations of a retail entity. Each access point may provide services such as Internet access, and/or content such as audio, video, text, and/or graphics, among other types of services. A carrier, such as a telephone or cable company, may compensate the network service provider for installation and operation of the access points. The carrier may in turn charge its subscribers for network access at the retail entity locations. A plurality of different carriers may provide compensation and allow respective subscriber access. The network access points may be configured to allow each carrier to present a point of presence to its subscribers at the retail entity locations. The installed network may also provide service for retail entity back office functions.

A data service control method and a related device are disclosed. The method includes: determining, by a PGW, a status of a data service switch of UE; if the status of the data service switch is that the data service switch is turned off, after the PGW receives a first data packet that comes from or goes to the UE, determining, by the PGW, whether the first data packet belongs to a specified type; and forwarding, by the PGW, the first data packet if the first data packet belongs to the specified type; or discarding, by the PGW, the first data packet if the first data packet does not belong to the specified type. During implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, when the data service switch of the UE is turned off, data traffic of the UE can be saved.

Methods and systems are described for monitoring communications in a packet-switched network. More specifically, the system initiates a communication between a network endpoint associated with a call mediator and at least a second network endpoint; records, at the call mediator, information associated with the communication; and upon termination of the communication, communicates, from the call mediator to an enterprise gatekeeper, the information associated with the communication.

A charging method, including sending, by a control plane gateway, a first charging trigger event to a user plane gateway, where the first charging trigger event triggering the user plane gateway to generate service usage information, generating, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information when the user plane gateway detects that the first charging trigger event occurs, sending, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information to the control plane gateway, generating, by the control plane gateway, a charging request according to the service usage information, and sending, by the control plane gateway, the charging request to a charging system. Offline charging during packet data network gateway (PGW) control and user (CU) separation is implemented.

Device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing is provided. In some embodiments, device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing for a wireless network includes collecting device generated service usage information for one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network; and providing the device generated service usage information in a syntax (e.g., a device assisted charging data record (CDR)) and a communication protocol (e.g., 3GPP, 3GPP2, or other communication protocols) that can be used by other network devices to augment or replace network generated service usage information for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network.

There is provided a system including a processor of a network device in communication with a wireless network. The processor is configured to collect device generated service usage information for one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network, and provide the device generated service usage information in a syntax and a communication protocol that can be used by other network devices to augment or replace network generated service usage information for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network.

The present invention provides apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media regarding enhanced congestion control by means of selective restart of credit control sessions. The present invention comprises storing an identifier of each of a plurality of credit control sessions handled by the charging entity when a failure has occurred at the charging entity and the plurality of credit control sessions has been terminated and a bearer associated with each of the plurality of the credit control session is to be maintained; and sending a message for requesting restart of at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to a gateway entity handling the plurality of credit control sessions, the message including an identifier of the at least one of the plurality of credit control sessions to be restarted.

Device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing is provided. In some embodiments, device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing for a wireless network includes collecting device generated service usage information for one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network; and providing the device generated service usage information in a syntax (e.g., a device assisted charging data record (CDR)) and a communication protocol (e.g., 3GPP, 3GPP2, or other communication protocols) that can be used by other network devices to augment or replace network generated service usage information for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network.