Enhanced access point name resolution support for mobile virtual network operators
A system and method are described that are carried out by a core network element of a host mobile carrier core network to perform an access point name resolution to facilitate establishing a session between a user equipment and a target packet gateway (PGW) of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). The method includes receiving a connection request from a user equipment identified as falling within particular ranges of mobile subscriber identity number (MSIN) values corresponding to user equipment of hosted MVNOs. The connection request includes: an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and an access point name (APN). The method further includes establishing an MVNO identifier from the provided IMSI and thereafter generating an MVNO-specific APN by appending the MVNO identifier to the APN. The method further includes submitting a name resolution request including the MVNO-specific APN to a naming service server.
1. A method carried out by a core network element of a host mobile carrier core network to perform an access point name resolution to facilitate establishing a session between a user equipment and a target packet gateway (PGW) of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), the method comprising: receiving a connection request from a user equipment identified as falling within particular ranges of mobile subscriber identity number (MSIN) values corresponding to user equipment of hosted MVNOs, wherein the connection request includes: an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and an access point name (APN); and establishing an MVNO identifier ( MVNO ID ) from the provided IMSI; generating an MVNO-specific APN by appending the MVNO identifier to the APN; submitting a name resolution request including the MVNO-specific APN to a naming service server; and receiving a name resolution response, corresponding to the name resolution request, from the naming service server.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the name resolution response provides information for an MVNO-specific target PGW; and wherein the core network element uses the received IMSI and originally received APN string to forward a create session request to the MVNO-specific target PGW.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information for the MVNO-specific PGW is used by the host mobile carrier core network to build a tunnel connection supporting a session between the user equipment and the MVNO-specific target PGW.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core network element is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol proxy.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each MVNO is assigned a unique three digit combination that is inserted at the three most significant digits of an MSIN field of the IMSI, and wherein the establishing an MVNO identifier comprises generating an MVNO identifier character string by joining the unique three digit MVNO identifier with a further characterizing string to render the MVNO identifier for purposes of performing the submitting the name resolution request.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MVNO_ID is a character string.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received from a mobility management entity (MME) that initially receives the request from the user equipment.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the name resolution response indicates a name resolution failure; and wherein the core network, in response to the name resolution failure, issues a generic request to the naming service server that resolves the MVNO_ID to a geographically nearest MVNO-specific PGW for the requesting user equipment in accordance with Name Authority Pointer (NAPTR) procedures.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the APN portion of the generic request includes only the MVNO identifier for use by the naming service server to resolve to the geographic nearest MVNO-specific PGW.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the MVNO-specific identifier is appended to the right side of the APN.
11. A method carried out by a core network element of a host mobile carrier core network to perform an access point name resolution to facilitate establishing a session between a user equipment and a target packet gateway (PGW) of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), the method comprising:
receiving a connection request from a user equipment identified as falling within particular ranges of mobile subscriber identity number (MSIN) values corresponding to user equipment of hosted MVNOs, wherein the connection request includes:
an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and
an access point name (APN); and
establishing an MVNO identifier (MVNO ID) from the provided IMSI;
generating an MVNO-specific APN by appending the MVNO identifier to the APN;
submitting a name resolution request including the MVNO-specific APN to a naming service server; and
receiving a name resolution response, corresponding to the name resolution request, from the naming service server.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the name resolution response provides information for an MVNO-specific target PGW; and wherein the core network element uses the received IMSI and originally received APN string to forward a create session request to the MVNO-specific target PGW.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the information for the MVNO-specific PGW is used by the host mobile carrier core network to build a tunnel connection supporting a session between the user equipment and the MVNO-specific target PGW.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the core network element is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol proxy.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein each MVNO is assigned a unique three digit combination that is inserted at the three most significant digits of an MSIN field of the IMSI, and wherein the establishing an MVNO identifier comprises generating an MVNO identifier character string by joining the unique three digit MVNO identifier with a further characterizing string to render the MVNO identifier for purposes of performing the submitting the name resolution request.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the MVNO_ID is a character string.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the request is received from a mobility management entity (MME) that initially receives the request from the user equipment.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the name resolution response indicates a name resolution failure; and wherein the core network, in response to the name resolution failure, issues a generic request to the naming service server that resolves the MVNO_ID to a geographically nearest MVNO-specific PGW for the requesting user equipment in accordance with Name Authority Pointer (NAPTR) procedures.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the APN portion of the generic request includes only the MVNO identifier for use by the naming service server to resolve to the geographic nearest MVNO-specific PGW.
20. The system of claim 11 wherein the MVNO-specific identifier is appended to the right side of the APN.