Federated Cloud Roaming for Wireless Terminals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional roaming solutions in wireless communication networks require complex and time-consuming business agreements between operators, leading to high costs and inefficiencies, especially in multi-operator environments like 5G networks, due to the need for dedicated capacity investments and resource management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a federated cloud solution that deploys virtual network functions (VNFs) in the visiting network using rented data resources, allowing the home network to utilize its existing VNF licenses and manage operation and management costs, while the visiting network only incurs costs for radio resources and internet peering, thereby reducing costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional roaming solutions (3GPP TS 23.401, shared networks, GWCN, MOCN) are used, then wireless devices can roam between networks, but complex business agreements and dedicated capacity investments are required, leading to high costs and long deployment time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based intermediary platform that mediates between home networks and visiting networks, replacing complex direct bilateral agreements with standardized multi-party cloud service agreements. The cloud platform acts as a mediator that handles roaming authentication, resource allocation, and billing, significantly simplifying the business agreement structure while maintaining reliable roaming capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal cloud-based roaming platform that serves multiple networks simultaneously, replacing the need for each network to have dedicated roaming infrastructure. The cloud platform provides universal authentication, resource management, and billing services that work across multiple home and visiting networks, reducing overall system complexity and deployment time.
2Reliability
If traditional roaming solutions are implemented, then roaming connectivity is provided, but dedicated capacity investments and resource management are required, leading to high operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the roaming infrastructure into a shared cloud platform that consolidates authentication, resource management, and billing functions. Instead of each network maintaining separate dedicated capacity, the cloud platform pools resources across multiple networks, achieving economies of scale that reduce operational costs while maintaining reliable roaming connectivity through centralized resource allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud-based platform enables automated self-service roaming authentication and resource allocation, eliminating the need for manual resource management and reducing operational overhead. The system automatically handles roaming requests, validates subscriptions, allocates resources, and processes billing, significantly reducing the loss of energy to operational costs while maintaining connectivity reliability.
3Reliability
If traditional roaming agreements are established, then roaming is enabled, but the process takes a long time to establish and adapt to changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring standardized roaming agreements and authentication mechanisms in the cloud platform before actual roaming is needed. Networks are pre-registered and pre-authenticated in the cloud system, so when roaming is required, the process is immediately activated without time-consuming negotiations or infrastructure setup, reducing deployment time while ensuring reliable roaming functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamics by making the roaming infrastructure flexible and easily reconfigurable through the cloud platform. Business agreements and resource allocations can be dynamically adjusted in real-time based on changing requirements, allowing rapid adaptation to new networks, new services, or changing traffic patterns without lengthy re-negotiation or re-deployment processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed performed by a system (115) of a home communication network (110) for enabling roaming to a visiting communication network (120) of a first wireless communication terminal (130) belonging to the home communication network. The method comprises receiving, from the visiting network (120), an information of a connection attempt from the first terminal at the visiting network, detecting whether federated cloud roaming is allowed for the first terminal, and when federated cloud roaming is allowed for the first terminal, sending a request to the visiting network to deploy virtual network functions (128) reflecting a number of network functions (117) existing in the home network. The method further comprises communicating with the visiting network (120) in order to establish a virtual private network between the home network and the visiting network so that the virtual network functions (128) of the visiting network are connected to the network functions (117) of the home network, receiving information from the visiting network that the virtual network functions are deployed for handling the first terminal (130), and in response to the received information, sending an acknowledgment to the visiting network (120) that the home network (110) acknowledges the connection attempt from the first terminal (130).