A network device may receive, from a first telecommunications network, one or more temporary credentials that allow access to the first telecommunications network; receive, from a user device, a request to access the first telecommunications network; provide, to a server device associated with a second telecommunications network associated with the user device, a service validation request; receive, from the server device, a service validation response indicating that the user device is permitted to access the first telecommunications network; provide, based on receiving the service validation response, a particular temporary credential, of the one or more temporary credentials, to the user device; and transmit data to or from the user device via the first telecommunications network when the particular temporary credential is used to access the telecommunications network.

A service and system for providing sponsored data, wherein the data usage is not charged to a mobile subscriber but, rather, paid for by a sponsor. The system and service is mobile-operator neutral and exists separate and apart from any given mobile network. The system provides, to mobile network operators and sponsoring entities, a single domain name (TLD). The TLD is white-listed, in wild-card form, by the mobile network operator so that the operator will know to zero rate any data traffic associated with the TLD. Sponsoring entities are also provided with a unique identifier. The unique identifier is concatenated, as a pre-pend, to the TLD, thereby generating a FQDN that (1) identifies associated data traffic as being sponsored and (2) identifies the entity sponsoring the data. The system monitors data usage associated with each FQDN and prepares a bill that charges each sponsoring entity for the data usage associated with the particular FQDN.

A wireless end-user device, comprising one or more modems enabling the wireless end-user device to communicate with a network system over a wireless access network, a touch-screen user interface, and one or more processors configured to execute one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to detect a user input through the touch-screen user interface, the user input comprising a request to remove the wireless end-user device from an existing device group account, the existing device group account being associated with one or more devices including the wireless end-user device, and send a message to the network system over the wireless access network, the message conveying the request to remove the wireless end-user device from the existing device group account.

An apparatus and method are described for sponsoring service and preferential traffic handling, (i.e., data connectivity) by wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs). A first WTRU may initiate user sponsoring of a second WTRU via an application server (AS). The first WTRU may receive a service trigger from the AS and forward the service trigger to the second WTRU. The second WTRU may then initiate a sponsored session with the AS using the service trigger in order to receive a service from the AS. The first WTRU may also request the AS to transfer a credit to the second WTRU. The AS may establish a direct communication link with a charging system including an online charging function (OCF) and a charging data function (CDF). The AS may send a request to a network to provide preferential traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU.

A method comprising obtaining, from a master user, a device usage allocation applicable to two or more devices, the two or more devices being associated with another user, the another user being different from the master user, obtaining an aggregate measure of device usage associated with the two or more devices, if the aggregate measure of device usage associated with the two or more devices satisfies a condition relative to the device usage allocation, managing an activity of the two or more devices, and sending a notification to at least one of the two or more devices, the notification for presentation to the another user through a user interface of the at least one of the two or more devices.

A method and system for identifying short message service (SMS) spammers identifies senders as spammers by determining that the senders are sending SMS messages to devices included in a grey phone space. Devices in the grey phone space are identified using various methods including an analysis of call detail records. A grey ratio for a sender is determined as a ratio of messages sent to grey phone numbers by the sender to messages sent to all phone numbers by the sender. A sender is identified based on a difference between the grey ratio for the sender and a second grey ratio being above a threshold.

A method performed by a network system communicatively coupled to a device over a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving authentication information from the device over the wireless network, the authentication information enabling the network system to authenticate the device; obtaining a charging data record (CDR) comprising information identifying a device activity over the wireless network associated with the device and indicating a usage amount associated with the device activity; and using one or more rules, processing the CDR to generate information configured to assist in (a) providing to a partner entity an accounting of a first portion of usage of the wireless network associated with the device activity indicated by the CDR, the partner entity providing an Internet-based service to the device, and (b) determining an accounting of a second portion of the usage of the wireless network associated with the activity indicated by the CDR.

Methods and systems for managing resource usage of a mobile device based on a resource threshold of a wireless communications network. A resource policy is received from a mobile device. The resource policy indicates that a network resource manager associated with a wireless communications network is authorized to use the resource policy to control the resource usage of the mobile device to support a resource threshold level of the wireless communications network. The wireless communications network is associated with a service provider of the mobile device. It is then determined that the wireless communications network has met the resource threshold. Upon determining that the wireless communications threshold has met the resource threshold, the resource usage of the mobile device is limited using the received resource policy of the mobile device.

An architecture that can dynamically detect and/or automatically remedy service usage inequities in a communications network is provided. For example, based upon a comparison of incoming call detail records (CDRs) to various subscriber information entities (e.g., service plan, blacklisted devices for the service plan, historic or current billing cycle usage, etc.), the architecture can identify when a usage inequity occurs or is likely to occur, substantially in real time.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses to enable subscribers of mobile wireless communication devices to view, research, select and customize service plans; to create and manage device groups, share and set permission controls for service plans among devices in device groups; to manage communication services through graphical user interfaces; to sponsor and promote service plans; and to design, manage, and control communication services through application programming interfaces.