Methods, systems, and computer readable media for managing the roaming preferences of mobile subscribers

1. A method for managing roaming preferences of a mobile subscriber, the method comprising:

at a network node distinct from a mobile subscriber device:

in response to determining that a foreign network, to which the mobile subscriber device is attached to and with which the mobile subscriber device has established a packet data protocol (PDP) context link, is a non-preferred network, sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device, a preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device; and

after sending the preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device, sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device, a triggering message for terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device and wherein the trigger message is also for activating the preferred network roaming list on the mobile subscriber device, wherein terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device includes detaching the mobile subscriber from the non-preferred network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device is in response to:

detecting that the mobile subscriber device is roaming in the foreign network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the foreign network includes a long term evolution (LTE) network.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the foreign network includes a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a packet data includes non-voice packet data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting that the mobile subscriber is roaming in the foreign network includes detecting a location update signaling message from a network element in the foreign network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining that the foreign network is a non-preferred foreign network includes matching a foreign network identifier in the location update signaling message with an entry in a database containing non-preferred foreign network identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the triggering message triggers a home location register (HLR) or a home subscriber server (HSS) to send a location cancellation message to a node serving the mobile subscriber device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the triggering message includes sending a location cancellation message to a node serving the mobile subscriber device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the location cancellation message appears to be from a home location register (HLR) or a home subscriber server (HSS).

11. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the triggering message includes enabling the mobile subscriber device to re-establish the PDP context link with a remote server via a preferred foreign network that is listed in the preferred network roaming list.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote server includes an electronic mail server.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the PDP context link is active on a constant basis.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps are performed by a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a signaling transport point (STP), an update server, a node, a computing platform, or a message processor.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the preferred network roaming list to a mobile subscriber device is performed by an update server and sending the triggering message is performed by a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a signaling transport point (STP), a node, a computing platform, or a message processor.

16. A system for managing roaming preferences of a mobile subscriber, the system comprising:

at a network node distinct from a mobile subscriber device:

a communications interface; and

a roaming management (RM) module for sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device and in response to determining that a foreign network, to which the mobile subscriber device is attached to and with which the mobile subscriber device has established a packet data protocol (PDP) context link, is a non-preferred network, a preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device and for sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device and after sending the preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device, a triggering message for terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device and wherein the trigger message is also for activating the preferred network roaming list on the mobile subscriber device, wherein terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device includes detaching the mobile subscriber from the non-preferred network.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the RM module is configured to send the preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device in response to:

detecting that the mobile subscriber device is roaming in the foreign network.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the foreign network includes a long term evolution (LTE) network.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the foreign network includes a general packet radio service (GPRS) network.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein detecting that the mobile subscriber is roaming in the foreign network includes detecting a location update signaling message from a network element in the foreign network.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein determining that the foreign network is a non-preferred foreign network includes matching a foreign network identifier in the location update signaling message with an entry in a database containing non-preferred foreign network identifiers.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the triggering message triggers a home location register (HLR) or a home subscriber server (HSS) to send a location cancellation message to a node serving the mobile subscriber device.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein sending the triggering message includes sending a location cancellation message to a node serving the mobile subscriber device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the location cancellation message appears to be from a home location register (HLR) or a home subscriber server (HSS).

25. The system of claim 16 wherein sending the triggering message includes enabling the mobile subscriber device to re-establish the PDP context link with a remote server via a preferred foreign network that is listed in the preferred network roaming list.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the remote server includes an electronic mail server.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the PDP context link is active on a constant basis.

28. The system of claim 16 wherein the system comprises a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a signaling transport point (STP), an update server, a node, a computing platform, or a message processor.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein sending the preferred network roaming list to a mobile subscriber device is performed at an update server and sending the triggering message is performed at a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a signaling transport point (STP), a node, a computing platform, or a message processor.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a network node distinct from a mobile subscriber device:

in response to determining that a foreign network, to which the mobile subscriber device is attached to and with which the mobile subscriber device has established a packet data protocol (PDP) context link, is a non-preferred network, sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device, a preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device; and

after sending the preferred network roaming list to the mobile subscriber device, sending, from the network node distinct from the mobile subscriber device, a triggering message for terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device and wherein the trigger message is also for activating the preferred network roaming list on the mobile subscriber device, wherein terminating the PDP context link involving the mobile subscriber device includes detaching the mobile subscriber from the non-preferred network.