Occasional access to a wireless network

1. A method of providing a wireless device with occasional access to a wireless network, the method comprising:

assigning an IMSI number to the wireless device, wherein the IMSI number falls within a pool of known IMSI numbers, and wherein the wireless device is not activated as a subscriber on the wireless network;

providing, in the wireless network, a detection device configured to identify the wireless device;

configuring the wireless network to identify the detection device as a quasi-home location register for the pool of known IMSI numbers;

receiving, at a base station controller, a message from the wireless device, wherein the message comprises the IMSI number;

identifying the IMSI number of the wireless device;

based on the identification of the IMSI number, identifying the detection device as a quasi-home location register for the wireless device;

receiving, at the detection device, a query from a mobile switching center (“MSC”) for data pertaining to the wireless device;

selecting, from a pool of temporary mobile subscriber international ISDN numbers (“MSISDN”) maintained by the activation system, a temporary MSISDN for the wireless device;

providing to the MSC, in response to the query, the temporary MSISDN assigned to the wireless device;

receiving, at the detection device, a first location update request from a visited location register for a first subscriber profile for the wireless device;

sending to the visited location register, in response to the first location update request, a message comprising the first subscriber profile for the wireless device;

receiving, at the detection device, a second location update request from a service GPRS support node for a second subscriber profile for the wireless device;

sending to the service GPRS support node, in response to the second location update request, a message comprising the second subscriber profile for the wireless device, the second subscriber profile to support one or more access point names;

receiving data from the wireless device; and

returning the temporary MSISDN to the pool of temporary MSISDNs, such that the temporary MSISDN can be selected for another wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the temporary MSISDN to the MSC comprises providing a notification that the wireless device is capable of communicating data over a specified bearer service, and wherein the data from the wireless device is received over the specified bearer service.

3. A method of providing a wireless device with occasional access to a wireless network, the method comprising:

assigning an identification number to the wireless device, wherein the identification number falls within a pool of known identification numbers, and wherein the wireless device is not activated as a subscriber on the wireless network;

providing, in the wireless network, a detection device configured to identify the wireless device;

configuring the wireless network to identify the detection device as a quasi-home location register for the block of known identification numbers;

receiving, at the detection device, a first location update request from a visited location register for a first subscriber profile for the wireless device

assigning, at the detection device, a temporary mobile subscriber international ISDN (“MSISDN”) to the wireless device, the MSISDN being selected from a pool of temporary MSISDN numbers;

in response to the first location update request, providing the temporary MSISDN to the visited location register;

receiving, at the detection device, a second location update request for a second subscriber profile for the wireless device;

sending, in response to the second location update request, a message comprising the second subscriber profile for the wireless device;

receiving data from the wireless device; and

un-assigning the temporary MSISDN after the data has been received from the wireless device.

4. A method of activating a wireless device on a wireless network, the method comprising:

assigning a first identification number to an identification module, wherein the identification number falls within a pool of known identification numbers, and wherein the identification module is not activated as a subscriber on the wireless network;

providing, in the wireless network, a detection device configured to identify a wireless device associated with the identification module;

configuring the wireless network to identify the detection device as a quasi-home location register for the block of known identification numbers;

receiving, at the detection device, a first location update request from a visited location register for a first subscriber profile for the wireless device

assigning, at the detection device, a temporary mobile subscriber international ISDN (“MSISDN”) to the wireless device, the MSISDN being selected from a pool of temporary MSISDN numbers;

in response to the first location update request, providing the temporary MSISDN to the visited location register;

receiving, at the detection device, a second location update request for a second subscriber profile for the wireless device;

sending, in response to the second location update request, a message comprising the second subscriber profile for the wireless device;

receiving data from the wireless device; and

un-assigning the temporary MSISDN after the data has been received from the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the identification module is a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) card.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of providing the temporary MSISDN to the visited location register comprises providing a notification that the wireless device is capable of communicating data over a specified bearer service, and wherein the data from the wireless device is received over the specified bearer service.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the IMSI number to the wireless device comprises assigning the IMSI number to a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) card.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of providing the temporary MSISDN to the visited location register comprises providing a notification that the wireless device is capable of communicating data over a specified bearer service, and wherein the data from the wireless device is received over the specified bearer service.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein assigning the IMSI number to the wireless device comprises assigning the IMSI number to a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) card.