Preliminary study on GPRS billing model

The traditional GSM billing system is a fixed line service model: The billing engine charges the voice call by time and distance. Mobile Switching Center (MSC) is similar to fixed line switching, generating call detail logging (CDR). Billing systems charge for voice calls based on these records.

However, the rules in a packet-based connection are difficult to implement in a circuit-switched system. For example, the billing engine does not differentiate between short message service (SMS) CDR and voice CDR, but the advent of SMS indicates a need for billing systems. At the same time, the advent of GPRS, Edge and 3G technology makes all kinds of high bandwidth applications possible, these applications need a new structure of the billing system. In addition, the operator to obtain revenue from content and advertising mode also makes billing more complex. Also, the traditional model of putting users into both residential and commercial users is no longer applicable, and instead of segmenting users with the same interest user base, this also requires a new change in billing systems.

It is difficult to gather and use available user information and combine them with different services, income situations, and new user categories. However, if you can satisfactorily answer the following question: "What constitutes a service in a mobile environment?" How are they billed? "Then the user is still willing to pay." To answer these questions, we need a mobile service model that separates information sources from billing details. Mobile Service Model

All services of this basic model can be viewed as a "content" exchange between a user connected to a mobile terminal and one or more information sources. Here, "content" is used to refer to all data transmitted through the packet network. The three service zones that make up the mobile service model are: mobile, connected, and content areas. (Computer science)

Different combinations of chargeable elements in these areas can be used to generate different services. For example, the location information obtained from the mobile network is used to inform the provider of certain content, and to provide the positioning information service to the user in a connected area through a secure connection. For example, when an employee enters an airport, the location information is sent to an application in the corporate network. This application updates the employee's location information and sends the person's details and emails to those who are prepared to meet him. As shown above, services typically include services from one or more zones.

Business delivery is critical to the new business and must be provided by the billing system. When a user subscribes to a service, the billing system must provide the user information they need for all zones (if it is a content area), including all content providers. Without this information, the elements will not be able to provide services correctly. Flexibility can only be met through the API provided by the billing system. If the service contains chargeable elements, the prerequisites for the service must also take into account the elements in the network. Move Area

The main chargeable element in this area is the user's location information, which is provided by the mobile network and is available for other areas. At the same time, it can form a new service with the combination of other elements, or sell it to a third party in its original form under certain restrictions. In the initial version of GPRS, there was no information about the exact location of the user, but the successor version could provide more accurate location information.

It is worth noting that mobile areas cannot exist independently. Connected Area

The connected area is the area between the core packet network of the operator and the content source. Since data transfers and transactions are chargeable elements of the area, it is also often referred to as the "bit pipe" area. Another example of a chargeable element is the duration of the transmission between the mobile user and the content source. If operators have extended networks or global networking, there will be more options for chargeable elements, such as roaming.

In GPRS, quality of service (QoS) is a chargeable element different from other technologies. Although the initial version of GPRS does not guarantee quality of service, for data users, it eventually becomes a key difference between operators. In a development perspective, the definition of service quality is the key to 3G networks, just as some high-bandwidth services require.

Another chargeable element in a connected area is security. This includes issues such as connectivity via the Internet or a dedicated data network (PDN).

In connected area, the concept of charge is based on time and capacity. In GPRS, SGSN and GGSN generate the CDR required for the billing of connection services such as access volume. It is very tempting to use the GSM model to transform the connecting CDR into Voice CDR, and then to use the existing GSM billing system to charge the connection service. But unlike the voice, GPRS provides uninterrupted service to all users (usually a large number of). This creates a very large number of CDR that will overload the existing voice billing system. Moreover, in the early GPRS development, voice services will still bring the largest share of revenue, so must avoid overload.

As expected, the initial data service consisted largely of a relatively small text or graphic message, followed by a gradual emergence of video messages. In this case, the size of each transmission is approximately hundreds of bytes. From the point of view of measurement data, a trillion is also a small number, so based on the above model is unable to obtain high income. In addition, this portion of the revenue is also considered if the Interconnect service involves End-to-end connectivity, QoS, and roaming issues provided by other operators. Again, if the model is also used for prepaid services, the number of CDR will become more critical. Content Area

Content areas are the ones that bring the most revenue. At the same time, it is also the biggest challenge for operators, especially when most content is provided by third parties.

Operators can manage content and fees by providing third-party billing for content providers, placing content locally and billing them, charging content providers, and dividing them with advertisers. All these have put forward the new request to the billing procedure and the system.

All the signs are that operators have to turn to content models in the short term even if the content model is not used initially. Now, the ownership of the user (now for voice) is considered extremely important. But the key is how to maintain this ownership, because on this issue, having the necessary information has made the operators in fact in a good position. By implementing the content model and based on the services it provides, operators can build a good brand and then guarantee ownership of the user. At the same time, in order to adapt to the wide range of services and chargeable elements, the billing system must be flexible enough to charge the content.