Transit network communication routing
View Patent ↗This disclosure is directed at least partly to routing calls and/or other communications from a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that uses a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) as a transit network. The MVNOs may desire to use the MNO's network as a transit network to complete or terminate calls from users who may be roaming and/or are on other access networks such as Wi-Fi. The MNO may implement logic to determine whether to allow the MNO's network to be used as a transit network based at least in part on conditions such as one or more of agreements with an MVNO, business considerations, and/or other considerations (e.g., network bandwidth, etc.). The logic may enforce the rules by selectively allowing some communications and denying other communications.
1. A method of routing traffic through a mobile network, the method comprising:
receiving, by a session border controller (SBC) device a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message;
identifying, by the SBC device, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) from the SIP invite message;
determining, by the SBC device, a MVNO identifier (ID) for the MVNO;
inserting, by the SBC device, the MVNO ID in a private header of the SIP invite message;
determining, by a transit gatekeeper device, whether the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as a transit network though use of a lookup table, the lookup table associating the MVNO ID with a plurality of conditions associated with use of the mobile network by the MVNO and having been retrieved from a Home Location Register (HLR) that stores the lookup table;
in response to determining that the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as the transit network, enforcing, by the transit gatekeeper device, at least one condition of the plurality of conditions, the at least one condition being associated with attributes of an originating party or a destination party in a communication serviced by the MVNO; and
allowing, by the transit gatekeeper device, use of the mobile network in response to determining that the at least one condition is satisfied.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MVNO is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that uses the transit network to connect VoIP communications.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising denying use of the mobile network in response to determining that the at least one condition is not satisfied.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one condition is a call roaming exception, the call roaming exception to allow use of the mobile network in response to verification of a send routing information (SRI) request by the originating party.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one condition is a determination that the communication is from an unlicensed spectrum that includes Wi-Fi.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one condition causes denial of use of the mobile network when the destination party is located outside of a specified region and the communication is via Wi-Fi.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one condition causes denial of use of the mobile network when the originating party is located outside of a specified region and the communication is via Wi-Fi.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising routing the communication through a Breakout Gateway Control Function (BGCF) to connect the originating party to the destination party.
9. One or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions configured to program a transit gatekeeper device to perform operations comprising:
identifying a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) from a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message, wherein an identifier of the MVNO is included in a private header of the SIP invite message;
determining whether the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as a transit network though use of a lookup table, the lookup table associating the MVNO with a plurality of conditions associated with use of the mobile network by the MVNO, and having been retrieved from a Home Location Register (HLR) that stores the lookup table;
enforcing at least one condition of the plurality of conditions in response to determining that the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as the transit network; and
allowing use of the mobile network in response to determining that the at least one condition is satisfied.
10. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one condition is associated with attributes of an originating party or a destination party in a communication serviced by the MVNO.
11. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , wherein the MVNO is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that uses the transit network to connect VoIP communications.
12. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , further comprising denying use of the mobile network in response to determining that the at least one condition is not satisfied.
13. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one condition is a call roaming exception.
14. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one condition is a determination that the communication is from an unlicensed spectrum.
15. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one condition causes at least one of:
denial of use of the mobile network when the destination party is located outside of a specified region and the communication is via Wi-Fi, or
denial of use of the mobile network when the originating party is located outside of a specified region and the communication is via Wi-Fi.
16. The one or more computer storage devices as recited in claim 9 , further comprising routing the communication through a Breakout Gateway Control Function (BGCF) to connect the originating party to the destination party.
17. A telecommunications system comprising:
A session border controller (SBC) to
receive a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message;
identify a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) from the SIP invite message; and
determine a MVNO identifier (ID) for the MVNO;
insert the MVNO ID in a private header of the SIP invite message; and
a transit gatekeeper to:
determine whether the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as a transit network based on the MVNO ID retrieved from the SIP invite message;
in response to determining that the MVNO has permission to use the mobile network as the transit network, enforcing at least one condition, the at least one condition being associated with attributes of an originating party or a destination party in a communication serviced by the MVNO; and
denying use of the mobile network in response to determining that the at least one condition is not satisfied.
18. The telecommunications system as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a Home Location Register (HLR) that stores the at least one condition.
19. The telecommunications system as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a Breakout Gateway Control Function (BGCF) to route communications that satisfy the at least one condition.
20. The telecommunications system as recited in claim 17 , wherein the MVNO is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that uses the transit network to connect VoIP communications.