Aspects of the present invention are directed towards a system and method for facilitating local data service via communication exchange system where, within an ecosystem of one or more operators, a gateway is deployed by an operator for facilitating local data services for users that either the operator's local subscriber and inbound roamer. The gateway connects to the operators via VPN tunnel to facilitate local data services. The communication exchange also includes an interface that maintains a bi-directional connection with the gateway to exchange information related to roaming data services, and a bi-directional connection with users via their mobile devices' user interfaces.

Among other things, a content item is received that is associated with an offer for wireless network credit. The wireless network credit is redeemable for free or discounted data usage of one or more metered wireless networks. In response to a selection input, the content item is presented to a user. Data is transmitted reflecting the presentation of the content item to a remote server to cause the remote server to add the mobile broadband credit to an account.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for performing charging control to a sponsored data application, receiving a service access request submitted by a user; determining a sponsored data application corresponding to the service access request based on a predetermined policy rule; transmitting a credit control request to a sponsored data charging device; receiving the credit control response returned from the sponsored data charging device, wherein the credit control response includes the charging control information corresponding to the service access request; redirecting the service access request to a network device corresponding to the sponsored data application based on the charging control information. Compared with the prior art, the present invention determines a corresponding sponsored data application based on a service access request submitted by a user; further, corresponding charging control information is determined based on the sponsored data application, and a corresponding network device is redirected to based on the information; therefore, the present invention improves the accurate ratio and efficiency of the charging system.

A system and method that allows for information relating to data and communication resource usage to be gathered and analyzed such that particular data transactions and usage can be classified based on purpose and/or type. Further, the system and method provide reporting based on amount of usage and/or purpose or type of usage so that associated costs and usage can be calculated applied and allocated to particular accounts, divisions, groups or individuals within and outside of a company or entity. Further, the system may restrict data usage of devices to data usage that can be allocated to particular accounts based on purpose, source, destination or other.

Provided is a method by a user equipment (UE) for providing a sponsoring service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: determining at least one UE to be provided with the sponsoring service, accessing to a server providing the sponsoring service, and registering to the server providing the sponsoring service; and transmitting a request of the sponsoring service comprising identification information of the at least one UE, to the server providing the sponsoring service.

The present disclosure provides a method (200) in a network entity for control of charging for Value Added Service (VAS). The method (200) comprises: determining (S210) a VAS provision status associated with a user traffic, the VAS provision status indicating a set of VASs provided for the user traffic; and generating (S220) a VAS charging policy for the user traffic based on the VAS provision status.

The present invention faces the issue of a user ignoring an alternative second service usable instead of a first service that the user is using, and which is a service subscribed by the user. To solve this issue, the present invention provides for associating a first service identifier and a second service identifier with a same service category at a subscription repository; upon detecting at a policy enforcer the first service is used by the user, notifying a policy controller of the first service identifier; obtaining, by the policy controller from the subscription repository, the second service identifier associated with the same service category as the first service identifier; offering the user, either directly from the policy controller or via the policy enforcer, to accept using the second service instead of the used first service; and, upon user accepting to use the second service, enforcing control rules for the second service at the policy enforcer.

A device can receive, from a user device, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) CONNECT request associated with a toll-free data service. The user device can establish a first transmission control protocol (TCP) connection with a proxy server. The HTTP CONNECT request can request the proxy server to establish a second TCP connection with a content provider server. The device can determine, based on the HTTP CONNECT request, that an authorization condition is satisfied. The device can store information associated with a flow between the user device and the content provider server. The user device and the content provider server can establish a transport layer security (TLS) connection based on the first TCP connection and the second TCP connection. The device can provide the information associated with the flow to permit an account of an entity to be adjusted in association with the toll-free data service.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for providing a sponsored service on an IMS-based mobile communication network, and comprises the steps of: a sponsored service client transmitting to a sponsored service server a sponsored service start request message; the sponsored service server determining the validity of the sponsored service after receiving the start request message; transmitting to the sponsored service client a sponsored service start acceptance message when the sponsored service server determines the sponsored service as valid; generating a sponsored service between the sponsored service client and an Internet service provider server; the sponsored service server generating charged fee information and transmitting the charged fee information to an authentication/authorization/accounting (AAA) server, when the sponsored service client requests termination of the sponsored service; and terminating the sponsored service session. According to the present invention, the sponsored service, in which a third pa?y Internet service provider can pay the cost using the mobile communication network instead of a wireless user equipment subscriber, can be provided, and the quality of the service can be dynamically controlled from the point the Internet service is provided.

A device may receive, from a user device, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) CONNECT request that includes a uniform resource locator (URL). The device may determine, using a data structure, whether the URL is a sponsored URL or a non-sponsored URL. The data structure may include one or more sponsored URLs associated with a toll-free data service campaign. The device may establish an HTTP CONNECT tunnel for transferring traffic, associated with the URL, between the user device and another device. The device may monitor data use, associated with the HTTP CONNECT tunnel, based on determining whether the URL is a sponsored URL or a non-sponsored URL. The device may generate a traffic information record based on monitoring the data use, and the device may provide the traffic information record to the user device.