APN Transport Pairing for Visited Network Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Establishing a connection or transport pairing between a user's electronic device and a visited network is cumbersome due to the need for multiple subscriptions with different operators and the dynamic nature of visited networks, which complicates credential management for mobile-network operators.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device establishes an APN transport pairing with a visited network using pre-installed policy and credential information, eliminating the need for subscriptions and operator-provided credentials, and facilitating communication using shared-license-access bands or licensed spectra.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user subscribes to multiple visited networks to establish connections, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to managing multiple subscriptions and credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The home network operator acts as an intermediary by providing credentials that enable the electronic device to access visited networks without requiring direct subscriptions. The credential information includes identifiers and security data that allow the device to authenticate with visited networks through the home network's authorization, eliminating the need for multiple user-side subscriptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The credential information provided by the home network operator serves multiple functions: it enables authentication across different visited networks, provides network identification, and facilitates transport pairing establishment. This universal credential set replaces the need for separate subscriptions and credentials for each visited network.
2Ease of operation
If the mobile-network operator maintains mappings between visited networks and credentials, then connection establishment is improved, but operational complexity and time increase due to dynamic nature of visited networks
Solution Approach 1:
The credential information is pre-configured in the electronic device by the home network operator before the device needs to access visited networks. This preliminary provisioning includes all necessary identifiers and authentication data, eliminating the need for real-time mapping and credential retrieval when connecting to visited networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic device uses the pre-provisioned credential information to autonomously establish connections with visited networks without requiring the mobile-network operator to maintain dynamic mappings or intervene in the connection process. The device self-configures the transport pairing using its own stored credentials.
3Speed
If credentials are stored for visited networks, then connection speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of invalid credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The home network operator serves as a trusted intermediary that provides credentials validated by visited networks. Since the home network operator maintains relationships with multiple visited networks and provides appropriately validated credentials, the risk of using invalid credentials is eliminated while maintaining fast connection establishment.
Data Source
AI summary
During operation, an electronic device may receive one or more first packets from another electronic device, where the one or more first packets include policy information and credential information. Based on the policy information and the credential information, the electronic device may establish an access point name (APN) transport pairing between the electronic device and the other electronic device, where the APN transport pairing is associated with a visited network that uses a shared-license-access band of frequencies or a licensed spectrum. Note that the policy information and the credential information may specify the APN transport pairing with the visited network, and that the policy information and the credential information may be pre-installed in or on the other electronic device. Moreover, the communication between a radio node in the visited network and the other electronic device may use an LTE communication protocol.