Roaming management system

1. A method of provisioning a subscriber profile into a subscriber data store of an IP Multimedia System (IMS)-capable telecommunications network, wherein the subscriber profile is for a visiting subscriber with respect to the IMS-capable telecommunications network, and wherein the subscriber data store is for use in IP Multimedia System (IMS) call processing, the method comprising:

receiving, by a modified Serving Gateway and Packet Data Network Gateway (SGW/PGW), a request to allocate an IMS Access Point Name (APN);

in response to receiving the request to allocate the IMS APN, triggering, by the modified SGW/PGW, a provisioning of the subscriber profile into the subscriber data store by transmitting a notification to a Visitor Location Register Application Server (VLR AS);

in response receiving the notification, transmitting by the VLR AS, a request to provision the subscriber profile into a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of the IMS-capable telecommunications network; and

triggering, by the VLR AS, a location update in a home location register (HLR) of a home network of the visiting subscriber;

wherein the modified SGW/PGW is operable to simulate a 2G/3G Mobile Switching Center and Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR) to the home network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber profile is from a home network that does not have Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is assigned to roaming subscribers from networks that do not have VoLTE.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is configured to notify a Visitor Location Register Application Server (VLR AS) that the visiting subscriber's user equipment (UE) has attached to the IMS-capable telecommunications network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IMS HSS is configured to store subscriber profiles for subscribers which are home subscribers with respect to the IMS-capable telecommunications network.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving a SIP REGISTER message at an IMS Application Server (AS); and

in response to receiving the SIP REGISTER message, triggering a location update in the Home Location Register (HLR).

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

in response to the location update, receiving subscriber data from the HLR;

deriving supplementary services data for the subscriber from the received subscriber data; and

transmitting the supplementary services data to a Telephony Application Server (TAS) for use during call processing.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

installing a set of supplementary services for the subscriber during a registration procedure which uses the subscriber profile.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

provisioning the subscriber profile into the Home Subscriber Server (HSS); and

querying the HSS for at least of a part of the provisioned subscriber profile during the registration procedure.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the request to allocate an IMS APN from a Mobile Management Entity (MME);

allocating the IMS APN; and

sending a confirmation message indicative of the allocated IMS APN to the MME.

11. A system for provisioning a subscriber in an IP Multimedia System (IMS) capable telecommunications network, the subscriber being a visiting subscriber with respect to the IMS-capable telecommunications network, the system comprising a modified Serving Gateway and Packet Data Network Gateway (SGW/PGW) configured to:

receive a request to allocate an IMS Access Point Name (APN);

in response to receiving the request to allocate the IMS APN, trigger an initial provisioning of a subscriber profile for the subscriber; and

install a set of supplementary services for the subscriber during a registration procedure which uses the subscriber profile;

wherein the modified SGW/PGW is operable to simulate a 2G/3G Mobile Switching Center and Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR) to the visiting subscriber's home network.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is:

assigned to roaming subscribers from networks that do not have VoLTE; and

configured to notify a Visitor Location Register Application Server (VLR AS) that the visiting subscriber's user equipment (UE) has attached to the IMS-capable telecommunications network.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is configured to:

provision the subscriber profile into a Home Subscriber Server (HSS); and

query the HSS for at least of a part of the provisioned subscriber profile during the registration procedure.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is configured to:

in response to receiving the request to allocate the IMS APN, transmit a notification to an IMS Application Server (AS); and

in response receiving the notification, transmit a request to provision the subscriber profile into the HSS.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is configured to:

receive a SIP REGISTER message at an IMS Application Server (AS);

in response to receiving the SIP REGISTER message, trigger a location update in a Home Location Register (HLR) in a home telecommunications network of the visiting subscriber; and

install the set of supplementary services for the subscriber in response to the location update.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is configured to:

in response to the location update, receive subscriber data from the HLR;

derive supplementary services data for the subscriber from the received subscriber data; and

transmit the supplementary services data to a Telephony Application Server (TAS) for use during call processing.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-readable instructions for causing a processor to perform operations for provisioning a subscriber profile into a subscriber data store of an IP Multimedia System (IMS) capable telecommunications network, the subscriber profile being for a subscriber which is a visiting subscriber with respect to the IMS-capable telecommunications network, the subscriber data store being for use in IP Multimedia System (IMS) call processing, the operations comprising:

receiving, by a modified Serving Gateway and Packet Data Network Gateway (SGW/PGW), a request to allocate an IMS Access Point Name (APN); and

in response to receiving the request to allocate the IMS APN, triggering, by the modified SGW/PGW, a provisioning of the subscriber profile into the subscriber data store by transmitting a notification to the VLR AS;

wherein the modified SGW/PGW is operable to simulate a 2G/3G Mobile Switching Center and Visited Location Register (MSC/VLR) to the visiting subscriber's home network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:

the subscriber is from a home network that does not have Voice over LTE (VoLTE);

and wherein the modified SGW/PGW is:

configured to notify a Visitor Location Register Application Server (VLR AS) that the visiting subscriber's user equipment (UE) has attached to the IMS-capable telecommunications network.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the modified SGW/PGW is assigned to roaming subscribers from networks that do not have VoLTE.