Techniques for contextual mobile data access

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a network request at a local gateway utility on a device;

determining, using the local gateway utility on the device, that the network request corresponds to a context-specific data plan for the device, the context-specific data plan authorizing performance of the network request through a zero-rated proxy server; and

performing the network request using the zero-rated proxy server as an intermediary.

2. The method of claim 1 , the network request received from an application on the device, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of cached context-specific data plans from a data plan cache on the device; and

matching the application against the plurality of cached context-specific data plans to determine the context-specific data plan authorizing performance of the network request through the zero-rated proxy server.

3. The method of claim 1 , the network request received from an application on the device, comprising:

determining that the application has launched on the device;

determining that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server;

offering a purchase of the context-specific data plan in response to the determination that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server;

receiving an acceptance of the purchase of the context-specific data plan;

performing the purchase of the context-specific data plan; and

associating the context-specific data plan with the device based on the purchase of the context-specific data plan.

4. The method of claim 1 , the network request for a network resource, comprising:

determining that the device was previously accessing the network resource on a non-metered network;

determining that continued access to the network resource would use a metered network;

determining that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server;

offering a purchase of the context-specific data plan in response to the determination that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server;

receiving an acceptance of the purchase of the context-specific data plan;

performing the purchase of the context-specific data plan; and

associating the context-specific data plan with the device based on the purchase of the context-specific data plan.

5. The method of claim 1 , the network request corresponding to a network resource, the context-specific data plan defining a period of time for which the device is authorized to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server.

6. The method of claim 1 , the network request received from an application on the device, the context-specific data plan defining a period of time for which the device is authorized to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server.

7. The method of claim 6 , the context-specific data plan associated with a price, the price determined according to a network usage history of a plurality of installations of the application on a plurality of devices, the network usage history generated at one or more proxy servers used by the plurality of devices.

8. The method of claim 6 , the context-specific data plan associated with a price, the price determined according to a predicted network usage of the application on the device, the predicted network usage generated according to a network usage history of the device, the network usage history generated at one or more proxy servers used by the device.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

monitoring network traffic for the device at a proxy server to generate a network usage history of the device;

predicting user interest in the context-specific data plan based on the network usage history; and

offering the context-specific data plan for the device based on the predicted user interest.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit on a device;

a local gateway utility operative on the processor circuit to receive a network request on a device, determine at the device that the network request corresponds to a context-specific data plan for the device, the context-specific data plan authorizing performance of the network request through a zero-rated proxy server, and perform the network request for the application using the zero-rated proxy server as an intermediary.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , the network request for a network resource, the local gateway utility operative to determine that the device was previously accessing the network resource on a non-metered network, determine that continued access to the network resource would use a metered network, determine that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server, offer a purchase of the context-specific data plan in response to the determination that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server, receive an acceptance of the purchase of the context-specific data plan, perform the purchase of the context-specific data plan, and associate the context-specific data plan with the device based on the purchase of the context-specific data plan.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , the network request corresponding to a network resource, the context-specific data plan defining a period of time for which the device is authorized to access the network resource through the zero-rated proxy server.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , the network request received from an application on the device, the context-specific data plan defining a period of time for which the device is authorized to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , the context-specific data plan associated with a price, the price determined according to a network usage history of a plurality of installations of the application on a plurality of devices, the network usage history generated at one or more proxy servers used by the plurality of devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , the local gateway utility operative to monitor network traffic for the device at a proxy server to generate a network usage history of the device, predict user interest in the context-specific data plan based on the network usage history, and offer the context-specific data plan for the device based on the predicted user interest.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive a network request at a local gateway utility on a device from an application on the device;

determine, using the local gateway utility on the device, that the network request corresponds to a context-specific data plan for the device, the context-specific data plan authorizing performance of the network request through a zero-rated proxy server; and

perform the network request using the zero-rated proxy server as an intermediary.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

determine that the application has launched on the device;

determine that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server;

offer a purchase of the context-specific data plan in response to the determination that the device does not have any active context-specific data plan authorizing the device to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server;

receive an acceptance of the purchase of the context-specific data plan;

perform the purchase of the context-specific data plan; and

associate the context-specific data plan with the device based on the purchase of the context-specific data plan.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the context-specific data plan defining a period of time for which the device is authorized to perform network requests for the application through the zero-rated proxy server.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the context-specific data plan associated with a price, the price determined according to a network usage history of a plurality of installations of the application on a plurality of devices, the network usage history generated at one or more proxy servers used by the plurality of devices.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

monitor network traffic for the device at a proxy server to generate a network usage history of the device;

predict user interest in the context-specific data plan based on the network usage history; and

offer the context-specific data plan for the device based on the predicted user interest.