Wireless network infrastructure

1. A method comprising:

generating billing information for a wireless user terminal accessing a network via a wireless access point;

transferring the billing information for the wireless user terminal to a billing entity for the network;

posting an accounting to a subscriber account associated with the wireless user terminal in accordance with the billing information;

receiving, at a service provider, a payment from the subscriber account associated with the user terminal in response to said posting the accounting to the subscriber account; and

providing, from the service provider, a portion of the payment to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating billing information for a wireless user terminal comprises counting a number of bytes exchanged between the wireless access point and the wireless user terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating billing information for a wireless user terminal comprises counting a number of bytes of data transmitted to the wireless access terminal using a Media Access Control address of the wireless user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating billing information for a wireless user terminal comprises calculating a duration of an association between the wireless user terminal and the wireless access point of the network based on a time at a start of the association and one of a duration of the association and a time at the end of the association.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point comprises:

providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to the billing entity; and

providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with the operator of the wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service provider comprises a content service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service provider comprises an internetwork service provider.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a payment at a provider of services to a network from a subscriber account associated with a wireless user terminal, said payment being provided for access to the services; and

providing a portion of the payment from said provider to an account associated with an operator of a wireless access point via which the wireless user terminal access the services over the network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said providing a portion of the payment comprises:

providing from the service provider a portion of the payment thereto to a billing entity; and

providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with said operator.

10. A method comprising:

generating hilling information for a wireless access point of a network;

transferring the billing information to a billing entity;

receiving at a provider of services to the network a payment for access to the services via the wireless access point;

providing, from the service provider, a portion of the payment to the billing entity; and

providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with a network service provider that provides a means by which the wireless access point accesses the network.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said provider of services comprises a content service provider.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating billing information for a wireless user terminal accessing a network via at a wireless access point;

means for transferring the billing information for the wireless user terminal to a billing entity for the network;

means for posting an accounting to a subscriber account associated with the wireless user terminal in accordance with the billing information;

means for receiving at a service provider a payment from the subscriber account associated with the user terminal in response to said posting the accounting to the subscriber account; and

means for providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said means for generating billing information for a wireless user terminal comprises means for counting a number of bytes exchanged between the wireless access point and the user terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said means for generating billing information for a wireless user terminal comprises means for counting a number of bytes of data transmitted to the wireless access terminal using a Media Access Control address of the wireless user terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said means for generating billing information comprises means for calculating a duration of an association between the wireless user terminal and the wireless access point of the network based, at least in part, on a time at the start of the association and one of a duration of the association and a time at the end of the association.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said means for providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point comprises:

means for providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to the billing entity; and

means for providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with the operator of the wireless access point.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the service provider comprises a content service provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the service provider comprises an internetwork service provider.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a payment at a provider of services to a network from a subscriber account associated with a wireless user terminal, said payment being provided for access to the services; and

means for providing a portion of the payment to an account associated with an operator of a wireless access point via which the wireless user terminal accesses the services over the network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said means for providing a portion of the payment comprises:

means for providing from the service provider a portion of the payment thereto to a billing entity; and

means for providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with said operator.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating billing information at a wireless access point of a network;

means for transferring the billing information from the wireless access point to a billing entity;

means for receiving at a provider of services to the network a payment for access to the services via the wireless access point;

means for providing from the service provider a portion of the payment to the billing entity; and

means for providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , and further comprising:

means for providing a portion of the payment to the billing entity to an account associated with a network service provider that provides a means by which the wireless access point accesses the network.

24. An apparatus comprising:

an authenticator to enable access to a network through one or more wireless access points (WAPs), said authenticator being configured to:

receive billing information for a wireless user terminal from a wireless access point of the network through which the wireless user terminal accesses the network;

post an accounting to a subscriber account associated with the wireless user terminal in accordance with said received billing information;

receive from a service provider a notice of payment associated with the subscriber account associated with the user terminal in response to posting the accounting to the subscriber account; and

affect an account associated with an operator of the wireless access point by a portion of said payment.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein said billing information is based, at least in part, on a count of a number of bytes exchanged between the wireless access point and the user terminal.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein said billing information is based, at least in part, on a count of a number of bytes of data transmitted to the wireless access terminal using a Media Access Control address of the wireless user terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the service provider comprises a content service provider.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the service provider comprises an internetwork service provider.

29. A apparatus comprising:

a server associated with a provider of services on a network, said server being configured to:

receive notice of a payment from a subscriber account associated with a wireless user terminal for access to services provided; and

affect an account of an operator of a wireless access point by a portion of said payment, wherein said wireless user terminal obtains access to said network through said wireless access point.

30. A apparatus comprising:

an authenticator to enable access to a network through one or more wireless access points (WAPs), said authenticator being configured to:

receive a notice of payment from a content service provider comprising a portion of a payment to said service provider based, at least in part, on billing information collected on at least one of said WAPs; and

affect an account of an operator of the one or more WAPs by a portion of said payment from said content service provider.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein said authenticator is further configured to affect an account associated with a network service provider that provides said wireless access point access to the network by a portion of said payment from said content service provider.