Charging interval authorizations according to the techniques disclosed herein provide for credit reservation and charging of whole charging intervals across two or more credit containers(36) in or linked to a subscriber account (34), without the need for redefining the charging interval size, even where the types of credit units differ between or among the credit containers (36) used to authorize the charging interval. Among the various advantages, the disclosed techniques preserve the original charging interval size, which may be defined for reasons of signaling efficiency, while simultaneously allowing the reservation or consumption of credit units from credit containers (36) having insufficient remaining credit for authorization of the full charging interval.

A system for generating and applying a secure token in a resource distribution network is provided. For example, a headend system generates a time-based token based on a time duration specified for a meter. The time-based token indicates the time duration for the meter. The time-based token is further generated based on an identifier of the meter. The headend system transmits the time-based token to the meter via at least a mesh network. After receiving the time-based token, the meter validates the time-based token to determine that the time-based token is generated for the meter based on information related to the identifier of the meter. If the meter determines that the time-based token is valid, the meter connects premises associated with the meter to a resource distribution network for at least the time duration specified in the time-based token.

As described herein, a system, method, and computer program are provided for dynamic switching between online and offline charging for a network session. In use, a network session is monitored. Additionally, during the network session, one or more characteristics of the network session are determined, based on the monitoring of the network session. Further, a dynamic selection is made between offline charging and online charging for the network session, based on the one or more characteristics of the network session.

The present invention provides a method for providing sponsored communication services in a telecommunication network to loan non-eligible subscribers comprising: receiving, by a proxy device, a communication request originating from an initiating party and forwarding the communication request to a loan granting system; receiving, by the proxy device, a signal indicative of loan refusal (because the subscriber is a loan non-eligible subscriber) from the loan granting system; informing the initiating party, by the proxy device, terms of sponsorship and seeking approval from the initiating party; receiving, by the proxy device, a signal indicative of approval by the initiating party; and sending, by the proxy device, routing information to a routing device for storing in respect of the initiating party, the routing device acting upon the routing information while providing a communication service.

A method for reducing wireless network congestion including receiving an initial request for network access from a mobile device and determining a customer support time period associated with an initial location. In response to receiving the initial request for network access, the method includes transmitting a request to a network node and receiving, from the network node, a rejection message denying access to the network. The method includes denying the initial request based on the rejection message. The method includes receiving a subsequent request for network access that includes a subsequent location. The method includes determining that identifying information associated with the subsequent request matches identifying information associated with the initial request. The method includes denying the subsequent request when the subsequent location is the same as the initial location and a request time of the subsequent request is outside the customer support time period.

Systems and methods may provide for establishing a data usage budget based on one or more of user input and historical usage data, wherein the data usage budget distinguishes between usage types and distinguishes between connection types. Additionally, a data usage of one or more client devices may be monitored in accordance with the data usage budget. In one example, the usage types are designated as one or more of a high bandwidth usage and a low bandwidth usage and the connection types are designated as one or more of a capped connection and a non-capped connection.

A network access control method includes obtaining network information of an electronic device, determining, using the network information, whether the electronic device needs to use a first access point name (APN) network channel, and generating a network channel switching instruction in response to determining that the electronic device needs to use the first APN network channel. The network channel switching instruction instructs to switch the electronic device from a second APN network channel to the first APN network channel. The second APN network channel has access to more network resource addresses than the first APN network channel.

The present system relates to a server providing data connectivity to an electronic device. The server includes a memory storing data connectivity policy information for the electronic device. The policy information defines a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with service provider(s) over a telecommunication network. The server has a receiver, which monitors data traffic from instances of applications installed on the electronic device, and has a usage monitor, which maintains a first quantity indicative of the monitored data traffic. A data connectivity policy manager detects that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of the data connectivity policy, determines a first application requesting such traffic, retrieves a second application linked to the first application, the second application having data traffic billing specific to the second application, and presents the second application to the electronic device.

The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a Control Plane (CP) function for handling a credit pool comprising granted service units to be used by multiple services. The multiple services are grouped in at least one first Rating Group (RG). The CP function creates an individual Usage Reporting Rule (URR) for each of the at least one first RG. Each individual URR comprises a first credit pool threshold. The CP function provides the individual URRs to a User Plane (UP) function. The CP function creates a Usage Reporting Rule for the Credit Pool (URR CRPL). The URR CRPL comprises instructions to the UP function to aggregate service unit usage for all individual URRs for all first RGs. The URR CRPL further comprises the first credit pool threshold. The CP function provides the URR CRPL to the UP function.

The system and method identify contact information for a first party. The contact information for the first party includes a plurality of communication endpoints of the first party and a plurality of communication applications for the plurality of communication endpoints of the first party. For example, the plurality of communication endpoints may be a home phone and a cell phone of the first party. The plurality of communication applications may be voice, video, text, and/or virtual reality applications of the first party. An electronic communication request is received from the first party to the second party. In response to receiving the electronic communication request from the first party to the second party, a first communication endpoint of the plurality of communication endpoints for the first party and a first communication application of the plurality of communication applications of the first party is selected based on a rule.