Evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service network sharing and roaming support

1. A method for enabling Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service continuity across two or more different public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”) wherein one instance of the MBMS service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a receiver device, a current PLMN of the two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device, wherein receiving the USD from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device comprises downloading, by the processor of the receiver device, a provisioning URL from the current PLMN when the receiver device is attached to the current PLMN;

selecting the MBMS service at the processor of the receiver device;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device; and

activating the determined TMGI at the processor of the receiver device to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN,

wherein the USD indicates all TMGIs for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs.

2. A method for enabling Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service continuity across two or more different public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”) wherein one instance of the MBMS service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a receiver device, a current PLMN of the two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device, wherein receiving the USD from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device comprises downloading, by the processor of the receiver device, a provisioning URL from the current PLMN via Open Mobile Alliance device management (“OMA-DM”), short message service (“SMS”), domain name system (“DNS”) look up, wireless access protocol (“WAP”) push, or a public data network (“PDN”) attachment procedure when the receiver device is attached to the current PLMN;

selecting the MBMS service at the processor of the receiver device;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device; and

activating the determined TMGI at the processor of the receiver device to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN.

3. A method for enabling Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service continuity across two or more different public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”) wherein one instance of the MBMS service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a receiver device, a current PLMN of the two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device, wherein session parameters for USD download are standardized across the two or more different PLMNs, and receiving the USD from the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device comprises downloading, by the processor of the receiver device, the USD via an IP address and port number reserved by the two or more different PLMNs for USD use;

selecting the MBMS service at the processor of the receiver device;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device; and

activating the determined TMGI at the processor of the receiver device to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an encrypted MBMS key from a broadcast/multicast service center (“BM-SC”) of the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device, wherein the encrypted MBMS key was encrypted by the BM-SC of the current PLMN using information needed to protect a MBMS key for the receiver device sent to the BM-SC of the current PLMN from the HPLMN of the receiver device; and

decrypting the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device using the encrypted MBMS key received from the BM-SC of the current PLMN.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a MBMS key for the receiver device at the processor of the receiver device from a broadcast/multicast service center (“BM-SC”) of the current PLMN, wherein the MBMS key was received at the BM-SC of the current PLMN from the BM-SC of the HPLMN of the receiver device; and

decrypting the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN at the processor of the receiver device using the MBMS key from the BM-SC of the HPLMN of the receiver device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

8. A method for enabling Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service continuity across two or more different public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”), the method comprising:

determining the MBMS service for the two or more different PLMNs is identical by a server, wherein the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) in a radio network shared by the two or more different PLMNs and the HPLMN; and

broadcasting one instance of the MBMS service in each of the two or more different PLMNs via the server in response to determining the MBMS service for the two or more different PLMNs is identical, wherein a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service indicates all temporary mobile group identifiers (“TMGIs”) for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein information needed to protect a MBMS key for decrypting the instance of the MBMS service is sent between broadcast/multicast service centers (“BM-SCs”) of the two or more different PLMNs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a MBMS key for decrypting the instance of the MBMS service is sent between broadcast/multicast service centers (“BM-SCs”) of the two or more different PLMNs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

13. A receiver device, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a current public land mobile network (“PLMN”) of two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein one instance of an Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs and the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN such that receiving the USD from the current PLMN comprises downloading a provisioning URL from the current PLMN when the receiver device is attached to the current PLMN;

selecting the MBMS service;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN; and

activating the determined TMGI to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN,

wherein the USD indicates all TMGIs for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs.

14. A receiver device, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a current public land mobile network (“PLMN”) of two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein one instance of an Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs and the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN such that receiving the USD from the current PLMN comprises downloading a provisioning URL from the current PLMN via Open Mobile Alliance device management (“OMA-DM”), short message service (“SMS”), domain name system (“DNS”) look up, wireless access protocol (“WAP”) push, or a public data network (“PDN”) attachment procedure when the receiver device is attached to the current PLMN;

selecting the MBMS service;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN; and

activating the determined TMGI to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN.

15. A receiver device, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a current public land mobile network (“PLMN”) of two or more different PLMNs to which the receiver device is attached, wherein one instance of an Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service is broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs and the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) of the receiver device;

receiving a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service from the current PLMN such that receiving the USD from the current PLMN such that session parameters for USD download are standardized across the two or more different PLMNs, and receiving the USD from the current PLMN comprises downloading the USD via an IP address and port number reserved by the two or more different PLMNs for USD use

selecting the MBMS service;

determining a temporary mobile group identifier (“TMGI”) for the MBMS service in the current PLMN; and

activating the determined TMGI to receive the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN.

16. The receiver device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

receiving an encrypted MBMS key from a broadcast/multicast service center (“BM-SC”) of the current PLMN, wherein the encrypted MBMS key was encrypted by the BM-SC of the current PLMN using information needed to protect a MBMS key for the receiver device sent to the BM-SC of the current PLMN from the HPLMN of the receiver device; and

decrypting the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN using the encrypted MBMS key received from the BM-SC of the current PLMN.

17. The receiver device of claim 16 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

18. The receiver device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a MBMS key for the receiver device from a broadcast/multicast service center (“BM-SC”) of the current PLMN, wherein the MBMS key was received at the BM-SC of the current PLMN from the BM-SC of the HPLMN of the receiver device; and

decrypting the instance of the MBMS service broadcast in the current PLMN using the MBMS key from the BM-SC of the HPLMN of the receiver device.

19. The receiver device of claim 18 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

20. A server, comprising:

a network access port; and

a processor coupled to the network access port, the processor configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining an Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (“MBMS”) service for two or more different public land mobile networks (“PLMNs”) is identical, wherein the two or more different PLMNs have geographic coverage areas different than a home PLMN (“HPLMN”) in a radio network shared by the two or more different PLMNs and the HPLMN; and

broadcasting one instance of the MBMS service in each of the two or more different PLMNs in response to determining the MBMS service for the two or more different PLMNs is identical, wherein a user service description (“USD”) for the MBMS service indicates all temporary mobile group identifiers (“TMGIs”) for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs.

21. The server of claim 20 , wherein information needed to protect a MBMS key for decrypting the instance of the MBMS service is sent between broadcast/multicast service centers (“BM-SCs”) of the two or more different PLMNs.

22. The server of claim 20 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

23. The server of claim 20 , wherein a MBMS key for decrypting the instance of the MBMS service is sent between broadcast/multicast service centers (“BM-SCs”) of the two or more different PLMNs.

24. The server of claim 23 , wherein the MBMS key is a MBMS service key (“MSK”).

25. The method of claim 8 , wherein the TMGI for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs is the same.

26. The server of claim 20 , wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations such that the TMGI for all instances of the MBMS service broadcast in each of the two or more different PLMNs is the same.