Subscription management and charging for value added services in UMTS networks

We propose a novel architecture for value added services provision in UMTS networks. The key idea is to introduce a model which is capable of handling efficiently subscription management, as well as charging, billing and accounting for value added services that are provided either by the network provider or third trusted parties. We propose a flexible business model in line with the arising requirements for openness and dynamic subscription and introduce an integrated system that employs a flexible charging scheme for each type of service usage (transport and value added), so that the user will receive only one itemised bill for all services. As a result, the user is able to access a large number of services provided by independent providers, without the need for any additional contracts.