The disclosure provides a system and method for metering on a prepaid wireless access point the amount of data transferred between a wireless device and the Internet and inhibiting further data transmission when the amount of prepaid data available reaches or drops below a pre-determined threshold. Specifically, the wireless access point includes a metering client to track one of data usage or an amount of prepaid data available. When the metering client indicates that the amount of data available has dropped below a pre-determined threshold, the wireless access point inhibits further data transmission.

A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.

In one embodiment, a method of serving media includes receiving a request to serve media content to an user equipment, and receiving caching information regarding the media content. The caching information includes information regarding whether the media content requested by the user equipment is cacheable. A first media server is assigned from a hierarchical set of media servers to serve the user equipment if the media content to be served is cacheable. The hierarchical set of media servers includes a plurality of first type of media servers deployed in a plurality of layer2 (L2) access networks. The user equipment is coupled to the content delivery network through a layer2 access network of the plurality of L2 access networks.

Techniques for contextual mobile data access are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a mobile device with a local gateway utility. The local gateway utility may be operative to receive a network request on a device, determine that the network request corresponds to a context-specific data plan for the device, the context-specific data plan authorizing performance of the network request through a zero-rated proxy server, and perform the network request for the application using the zero-rated proxy server as an intermediary. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Network devices receive configuration settings for a portable data account with a service provider. The portable data account provides for mobile data over a broadband cellular network. The network devices receive, via a mobile device, user credentials, for a user, to activate a portable data service for the mobile device. The network devices determine that the user credentials correspond to the portable data account, the portable data account being different than a default account associated with the mobile device. The network devices map a temporary mobile directory number (MDN), which is associated with the portable data account, to a unique identifier for the mobile device, and enforce the configuration settings for a portable data session, associated with the temporary MDN, for the portable data account. The network devices log mobile data, used by the mobile device, for the portable data session and create a billing record for the portable data session, the billing record being based on the logging and associated with the portable data account.

The present disclosure relates to a method in a network node (1) of a communication network (5). The method comprises determining from signalling with a cellular RAN (4) and/or a wireless transceiver (3) that a radio device (2) is within range (6) of the wireless transceiver, said radio device being connected to the communication network over the cellular RAN. The method also comprises redirecting, through signalling with one or more billing servers (7) connected to the communication network, at least some billing for resources used by the radio device via the cellular RAN, from a first subscription to a second subscription, as a result of said determining that the radio device is within range of the wireless transceiver. Upon determining from signalling over the cellular RAN (4) and/or with the wireless transceiver (3) that the radio device (2) is no longer within the range (6) of the wireless transceiver (3), there is assigned a limitation criterion for the redirecting (402) of the at least some billing associated with the data communication over the cellular RAN for resources used by the radio device (2), and the redirecting (402) of the at least some billing associated with data communication over the cellular RAN for resources used by the radio device (2) is terminated, through signalling with the one or more billing servers (7) connected to the communication network, when the limitation criterion is fulfilled.

In one embodiment, a method of serving media includes receiving a delivery log of traffic use after every first time interval for an user equipment. The user equipment is part of a hot billing class of users. The traffic use comprises data usage by the user equipment during communication with a media server in a layer2 access network. A user traffic information computed from the delivery log is transmitted to a billing center. A account status information is received from the billing center. The account status information is received if the user equipment exceeds a user account metric. A session termination information based on the account status information is transmitted.

An application processing method and a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes: analyzing an operation right of an application when the application executes an invoking operation for a fee deduction event; allowing the application to execute the invoking operation if the application has an operation right for the fee deduction event; and forbidding the application from executing the invoking operation if the application does not have the operation right for the fee deduction event. In the present disclosure, it is not necessary to scan an application every time the application runs. It is only necessary to determine the operation right of the application, which cuts down processing time and avoids waste of system resources, while at the same time does not require participation of the user and facilitates the user to use. In this way, the user experience is improved.

A method may include receiving information identifying a radio frequency (RF) usage policy that is associated with a user equipment (UE). The UE may communicate with a network using RF signals, and the RF access signaling usage policy may identify an RF access signaling usage threshold. The RF access signaling usage threshold may identify a quantity of bearers and an action to perform based on the UE requesting the quantity of bearers. The method may include causing a gateway device to monitor RF access signaling usage of the UE. The method may include receiving an RF access signaling usage update. The method may include determining that the RF access signaling usage satisfies the RF access signaling usage threshold based on the RF access signaling usage update. The method may include causing an action to be performed based on the RF access signaling usage policy.

Asynchronous and/or synchronous zero charge telephony protocol systems and methods may include an asynchronous signaling switch and/or a call duration time quota from a synchronous charging onset to place and complete a call. A call request is received with a second device mobile address. The asynchronous systems include instructions to automatically modify the mobile address with a routing prefix when the first device has insufficient balance or independent of balance, route to the asynchronous signaling switch based on an associated modified address trunk path, revert to the call signal at the asynchronous signaling switch, and deliver and automatically disconnect the call immediately when the call is completed. The synchronous systems include instructions to automatically set the call duration time quota upon insufficient balance, and deliver and automatically disconnect the call from the second user mobile device when the call is completed and the call duration time quota is exceeded.