Self provisioning of wireless terminals in wireless networks
A method of acquiring telecommunications service is disclosed. The method comprises listening to a wireless signal from a wireless network and decoding a country code from the wireless signal. The method further comprises selecting a subscriber identity based at least in part on the country code of the wireless signal and acquiring wireless service from the wireless network.
1. A system operating in a mobile wireless network comprising:
a first home location register (HLR) containing a plurality of International Mobile Subscriber Identities (IMSIs) allocated to the system; and
a provisioning server having authority and control to access the first HLR and operative to communicate with the mobile wireless network including a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs) and a plurality of mobile devices operating in the mobile wireless network, wherein the provisioning server receives a signal from the mobile wireless network specifying a location of a first mobile device having a first IMSI and operating in the mobile wireless network under a first condition, provisions the first HLR to add a second IMSI not previously provisioned corresponding to the first mobile device and the location, and transmits data identifying the second IMSI to the first mobile device to allow the first mobile device to operate in the mobile wireless network under a second condition.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first HLR communicates authentication data to the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first HLR communicates authentication data to one of the MSCs operating in the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first HLR transmits authentication data to a second HLR operating in the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of International Mobile Subscriber Identities (IMSIs) allocated to the system include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique country code.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of International Mobile Subscriber Identities (IMSIs) allocated to the system include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique network code.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of International Mobile Subscriber Identities (IMSIs) allocated to the system include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique country code and at least one unique network code.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first condition includes a roaming condition and the second condition includes a non-roaming condition.
9. A method of operating a mobile wireless network comprising:
receiving, by a provisioning server, a signal from a mobile wireless network specifying a location of a first mobile device having a first International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and operating in the mobile wireless network under a first condition, the mobile wireless network including a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs) and a plurality of mobile devices operating in the mobile wireless network;
provisioning a first home location register (HLR) by the provisioning server that has authority and control to access the first HLR to add a second IMSI not previously provisioned corresponding to the first mobile device and the location, the first HLR containing a plurality of IMSIs; and
transmitting data identifying the second IMSI to the first mobile device to allow the first mobile device to operate in the mobile wireless network under a second condition.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first HLR communicates authentication data to the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first HLR communicates authentication data to one of the MSCs operating in the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first HLR transmits authentication data to a second HLR operating in the mobile wireless network to allow the first mobile device to operate under the second condition in the mobile wireless network.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of IMSIs include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique country code.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of IMSIs include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique network code.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of IMSIs include a plurality of subsets of IMSIs, each subset of IMSIs corresponding to a unique country code and at least one unique network code.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first condition includes a roaming condition and the second condition includes a non-roaming condition.