Multi-service provider wireless access point
Novel tools and techniques that can provide wireless service for multiple service providers from a single, multi-service provider wireless access point. In an aspect, a multi-service provider wireless access point might communicate with a plurality of wireless devices, each associated with a different wireless carrier, and route communications from each device to the appropriate carrier (and/or, similarly, transmit communications from each carrier to the appropriate wireless device). In this way, for example, a single wireless access point could provide service to cellphones of subscribers of a number of different carriers. Such a wireless access point can provide enhanced efficiency and reduced cost, along with the ability to provide higher service for a number of wireless carriers.
1. A method of providing wireless service for multiple service providers from a single access point, the method comprising:
providing a multi-service provider wireless access point having one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices and an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection to a plurality of wireless service providers, wherein the multi-service provider wireless access point further comprises a plurality of antennas;
mapping each of a plurality of sub-bands to one or more respective wireless service providers;
receiving, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, a communication from a wireless device;
identifying a wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
identifying a sub-band allocated to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
identifying which one or more of the antennas of the plurality of antennas provides enhanced communication performance for the identified sub-band that is allocated to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
communicating with the wireless device using the sub-band assigned to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device via the one or more antennas that provide enhanced communication performance for the identified sub-band;
receiving, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, one or more subsequent communications from the wireless device; and
routing, from the multi-service provider wireless access point, the one or more subsequent communications to the identified wireless service provider, over the uplink connection.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more radios comprise one or more software defined radios.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more radios consist of a single radio.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of wireless service providers collectively communicate on a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the single radio is configured to communicate on the plurality of frequency bands.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the single radio employs orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (“OFDMA”) modulation.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, an identifier of the wireless device from the communication.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying a wireless service provider comprises identifying the wireless service provider based at least in part on the identifier of the wireless device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a sub-band allocated to the wireless service provider comprises identifying the sub-band as a frequency range that is allocated to the identified wireless service provider.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the sub-band as a frequency range that is allocated to the identified wireless service provider comprises:
accessing a database correlating wireless service providers with allocated frequency ranges; and
searching the database for a record corresponding to the identified wireless service provider.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more radios comprise a long term evolution (“LTE”) radio.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more radios comprise a WiFi radio.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is a mobile telephone number.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is an electronic serial number (“ESN”).
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is an media access control (“MAC”) address.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink connection comprises an Ethernet connection.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink connection comprises a passive optical network (“PON”) circuit.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink connection comprises a digital subscriber line (“DSL”) connection or a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“DOCSIS”) connection.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein routing one or more subsequent connections to the identified wireless service provider comprises:
addressing the one or more subsequent connections to a network address corresponding to the identified wireless service provider; and
transmitting the one or more subsequent communications over the uplink connection.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a wireless service provider comprises:
accessing a database correlating wireless device identifiers with wireless service providers; and
searching the database for a record containing the identifier of the wireless device.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the database identifies a mobile switching center (“MSC”) of the identified service provider, the method further comprising:
updating the database to identify a different MSC as serving the wireless device; and
routing communications from the wireless device to the different MSC.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the identified wireless provider is a first wireless service provider, and wherein the different MSC is operated by a second wireless service provider having a relationship with the first wireless service provider.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
storing the database at the multi-service provider wireless access point.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the database is remote from the multi-service provider wireless access point.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein accessing the database comprises accessing the database over the uplink connection.
25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
registering the wireless device with a wireless network operated by the wireless service provider, based on the received communication from the wireless device.
26. A multi-service provider wireless access point, comprising:
one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices;
an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection to a plurality of wireless service providers;
a processor in communication with the one or more radios and the uplink interface; and
a non-transitory machine readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the processor to:
map each of a plurality of sub-bands to one or more respective wireless service providers;
receive a communication from a wireless device;
identify a wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
identify a sub-band allocated to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
identify which one or more of the antennas of the plurality of antennas provides enhanced communication performance for the identified sub-band that is allocated to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device;
communicate with the wireless device using the sub-band assigned to the wireless service provider serving the wireless device via the one or more antennas that provide enhanced communication performance for the identified sub-band;
receive one or more subsequent communications from the wireless device; and
route the one or more subsequent communications to the identified wireless service provider, over the uplink connection.