Network Access Rights Assignment for Roaming Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face high costs and inconvenience when using smartphones in foreign countries due to excessive roaming charges and the limitations of local USIMs, including high call rates for international calls and inability to reuse remaining credit.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow users to pre-set network access rights in a foreign country by transmitting identification information, receiving entry information, and assigning network access rights based on location, enabling the selection and payment of a network service before traveling, thus avoiding high roaming costs and local USIM limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If roaming service is used to maintain network access in foreign country, then network accessibility is improved, but communication cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by allowing users to select and pay for network service packages in their home country before traveling to foreign countries. The home country base station stores this pre-purchased service information and automatically activates the appropriate foreign network access rights when the user enters the foreign country, eliminating the need to purchase expensive roaming services or local SIM cards during travel.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If local USIM card is purchased to reduce communication cost, then communication cost is reduced, but convenience deteriorates due to need to purchase and mount physical card
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring users to physically purchase and mount a local SIM card, the system creates a virtual copy of the local network access rights by storing service subscription information in the home country base station. This virtual authorization allows the user's terminal to access foreign networks without any physical card changes, combining the cost benefits of local rates with the convenience of using the original SIM card.
3Reliability
If prepaid local USIM is used to access network, then network access right is obtained, but adaptability deteriorates because USIM cannot be reused in other periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal network access solution that works across multiple countries and time periods. By storing service subscription information in the home country base station rather than tying it to a specific foreign country SIM card, the system enables the same terminal and original SIM card to access networks in different foreign countries repeatedly. The pre-purchased service rights are activated automatically based on location information, making the network access right reusable and adaptable to multiple destinations.
4Reliability
If roaming service is used to maintain network access, then network accessibility is improved, but call rate for international calls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The home country base station acts as an intermediary that mediates between the user's terminal and foreign network operators. It stores pre-purchased service subscription information and automatically activates appropriate foreign network access rights based on location information. This intermediary mechanism allows users to make local calls in foreign countries at local rates rather than international roaming rates, significantly reducing call charges while maintaining seamless network accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention is a method for a user staying in a first country to be authorized in advance, before entering a second country which is different from the first country, to use a network service on a user terminal in the second country, without buying a local USIM after arriving in the second country or using a roaming service.