METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE NETWORK SELECTION BY THE HOME OPERATOR OF DUAL USER EQUIPMENT
The invention concerns a method for controlling the network selection by the home operator of dual user equipment ( 6 ) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps: —defining a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE ( 6 ) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator, —storing said configuration parameter HOC in the UE ( 6 ), and at initial network selection, —selecting a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value.
1 . Method for controlling the network selection by the home operator of dual user equipment ( 6 ) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said method comprising:
defining a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE ( 6 ) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,
storing said configuration parameter HOC in the UE ( 6 ), and at initial network selection,
selecting a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value.
2 . Method according to claim 1 comprising:
storing network selection information applicable for both mobile home operator and fixed-wireless home operator in the UE ( 6 ),
storing fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator case in the UE ( 6 ):
defining fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator, and storing said fixed-wireless network selection information in the UE ( 6 ),
setting a preferred default network access mechanism in the UE ( 6 ) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC,
setting a preferred default network in the UE ( 6 ) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC.
3 . Method according to claim 2 wherein the default network access mechanism is set to mobile networks if the configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter, or to fixed-wireless networks if the configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.
4 . Method according to claim 2 wherein the preferred default network is set to the HPLMN if the configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter or to a list of H-WSID(s) if the configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.
5 . Method according to claim 2 wherein said network selection information comprise:
a user preferred PLMNs list,
an operator preferred PLMNs list,
a user preferred WSIDs list for identifying a list of user preferred fixed-wireless access points
an operator preferred WSIDs list for identifying a list of preferred access points owned by fixed-operator roaming partners of the home operator.
6 . Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information comprise:
a home operator access points list (H-WSIDs) for identifying the list of access points owned by the fixed-wireless home operator.
7 . Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information further comprise a preferred roaming access indicator, indicating whether the UE should prioritize the mobile network access or the fixed-wireless network access at alternative network selection after a default network selection where no network can be selected.
8 . Method according to claim 2 wherein said fixed-wireless network selection information further comprise a preferred mobile network indicator indicating whether the fixed-wireless network operator has a preferred mobile network operator or not.
9 . Method according to claim 1 further comprising:
retrieving the configuration parameter HOC value and network selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists, and retrieving the fixed-wireless network selection information if the HOC value indicates a fixed-wireless home operator, and, at initial network selection,
performing a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter
or
performing a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.
10 . Method according to claim 9 wherein the UE ( 6 ) selects either the HPLMN if a PLMN selection is performed or the home operator Access Points H-WSID(s) if a fixed-wireless network selection is performed.
11 . Method according to claim 10 wherein if no network can be selected using the initial network selection, the UE ( 6 ) proceeds with an alternative network selection as follows:
If PLMN initial network selection failed, a fixed-wireless network selection is performed during which the UE ( 6 ) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s), and,
If fixed-wireless initial network selection failed:
a PLMN selection is performed if the default network access mechanism is set to fixed wireless networks and if the preferred roaming access mechanism is set to a mobile network access mechanism, and if said PLMN selection fails, a fixed-wireless network selection is then performed during which the UE ( 6 ) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s),
a fixed-wireless network selection is performed if the default network access mechanism is set to ‘fixed wireless networks’ and the preferred roaming access mechanism is ‘fixed-wireless networks’, and if said fixed-wireless network selection fails, a PLMN selection is then performed during which the UE ( 6 ) only selects user or operator preferred access points WSID(s).
12 . Method according to claim 1 wherein, if an alternative network selection for fixed-wireless network home operator is chosen, said alternative network selection is:
a legacy PLMN selection with HPLMN as highest priority PLMN when the preferred mobile network indicator information indicates that the fixed-wireless home operator has a commercial agreement with said HPLMN as a preferred mobile network operator
or
a PLMN selection procedure without the HPLMN when the preferred mobile network indicator information indicates that the fixed-wireless home operator has direct commercial agreements with a plurality of mobile networks.
13 . Method According to claim 1 wherein, the access points owned by the fixed-wireless home operator are stored in a separate list (H-WSID(s)) than the access points owned by other fixed-wireless networks enabling thereby the selection of home operator's Access Points may be initiated separately from the selection of fixed-wireless roaming partners's Access Points.
14 . Method according to claim 13 wherein the home operator class HOC and fixed-wireless network selection information (H-WSID(s), preferred roaming access mechanism, preferred mobile network indicator) is set by the home operator and can be factory configured or dynamically provisioned, whether in the USIM of said UE ( 6 ) or in a NVM of said UE ( 6 ).
15 . Method according to claim 14 wherein said home operator class HOC and fixed-wireless network selection information is updatable by the home operator after the UE ( 6 ) power-on using over the air mechanism such as OMA DM, SMS, or US SD.
16 . A user Equipment ( 6 ) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said user Equipment comprising:
an analyzing unit that analyzes a configuration parameter HOC indicating whether the home operator of the UE ( 6 ) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,
a storing unit that stores said configuration parameter HOC, and
a selecting unit that selects a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value at initial network selection.
17 . User Equipment ( 6 ) according to claim 16 further comprising:
a first retrieving unit that retrieves the configuration parameter HOC value,
a second retrieving unit that retrieves network selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists,
a third retrieving unit that retrieves fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator
a performing unit that performs:
a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter
or
a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter HOC is a fixed-wireless configuration parameter.
18 . User Equipment ( 6 ) according to claim 17 wherein said second retrieving unit comprises:
a user preferred PLMNs list,
an operator preferred PLMNs list,
a user preferred WSIDs list,
an operator preferred WSIDs list.
19 . User Equipment ( 6 ) according to claim 17 wherein said third retrieving unit comprises:
a home operator access points list (H-WSIDs),
a preferred roaming access mechanism,
a preferred mobile network indicator.
20 . System for controlling the network selection by a user equipment ( 6 ) having mobile network access capability and fixed-wireless network access capability, said system comprising the home operator of the UE ( 6 ) being whether a mobile network HPLMN or a fixed-wireless network HWSID, at least a mobile network roaming partner PLMN, and at least a fixed-wireless network roaming partner WSID, said system comprising:
an unit that defines a configuration parameter HOC for indicating whether the home operator of the UE ( 6 ) is a mobile operator or a fixed-wireless operator,
an unit that sets said configuration parameter HOC in the UE ( 6 ) to allow said UE to select a network based on said configuration parameter HOC value at initial network selection.
21 . System according to claim 20 wherein said units consist of software applications controlled by the Home operator and adapted for configuring the UE ( 6 ) for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 .
22 . System according to claim 21 wherein said software applications comprise instructions executable in the UE ( 6 ) for storing in said UE ( 6 ) network selection information applicable for both mobile home operator and fixed-wireless home operator, fixed-wireless network selection information applicable for fixed-wireless home operator and instructions for setting a preferred default network access mechanism and preferred default network in the UE ( 6 ) according to the value of the configuration parameter HOC.
23 . System according to claim 22 wherein said software applications allow said UE ( 6 ) to retrieve the configuration parameter HOC value and the selection information applicable for both mobile and fixed-wireless home operators including the user and operator preferred PLMNs lists and the user and operator preferred WSID(s) lists, and the fixed-wireless network selection information for allowing the UE ( 6 ) to perform:
a PLMN selection if the network configuration parameter HOC is a mobile network configuration parameter
or
a fixed-wireless network selection, if the network configuration parameter,
HOC is a fixed-wireless home parameter.
24 . System according to claim 22 wherein the network selection is controlled by the Home operator.