APN-AMBR authorization in GPRS mobile network

1. A method performed by a policy and charging rules node (PCRN), the method comprising:

receiving a credit control request (CCR) message from a packet data network gateway (PGW) based upon a general radio packet service (GPRS) internet protocol connectivity access network (IP-CAN) session request;

determining that an operator policy rule specifies an access point name aggregate maximum bit rate (APN-AMBR) value;

setting an APN-AMBR value for the GPRS IP-CAN session to the APN-AMBR value specified by the operator policy rule;

setting a GPRS IP-CAN session maximum bit rate download/upload (MBR DL/UL) value to the lowest of the APN-AMBR value specified by the operator policy rule and a subscriber MBR DL/UL value; and

sending a credit control answer (CCA) message to the PGW with a selected APN-AMBR and MBR DL/UL values.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a subscriber profile repository (SPR) request message to a SPR;

receiving a SPR response message from the SPR including a subscriber APN-AMBR and the subscriber MBR DL/UL.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a SPR update notification message from the SPR including an updated subscriber APN-AMBR and an updated subscriber MBR DL/UL;

re-authorizing APN-AMBR and MBR-DL/UL values according to corresponding SPR update, previous GW input and PCRF policy rules;

sending a request for reauthorization (RAR) message to the PGW with the updated APN-AMBR and MBR DL/UL values.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CCR message is a CCR initialize message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CCR message is a CCR update message.

6. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps including:

receiving a credit control request (CCR) message from a packet data network gateway (PGW) based upon a general radio packet service (GPRS) internet protocol connectivity access network (IP-CAN) session request;

determining that an operator policy rule specifies an access point name aggregate maximum bit rate (APN-AMBR) value;

setting an APN-AMBR value for the GPRS IP-CAN session to the APN-AMBR value specified by the operator policy rule;

setting a GPRS IP-CAN session maximum bit rate download/upload (MBR DL/UL) value to the lowest of the APN-AMBR value specified by the operator policy rule and a subscriber MBR DL/UL value; and

sending a credit control answer (CCA) message to the PGW with the selected APN-AMBR and MBR DL/UL values.

7. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 6 , the method steps further including:

sending a subscriber profile repository (SPR) request message to a SPR;

receiving a SPR response message from the SPR including a subscriber APN-AMBR and the subscriber MBR DL/UL.

8. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 6 , the method steps further including:

receiving a SPR update notification message from the SPR including an updated subscriber APN-AMBR and an updated subscriber MBR DL/UL;

re-authorizing APN-AMBR and MBR-DL/UL values according to corresponding SPR update, previous GW input and PCRF policy rules;

sending a request for reauthorization (RAR) message to the PGW with the updated APN-AMBR and MBR DL/UL values.

9. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 6 , wherein the CCR message is a CCR initialize message.

10. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 6 , wherein the CCR message is a CCR update message.