MVNO FAQs

Using PortaBilling BSS (Business Support System) assumes that you will sign your own agreement with MNO and organize the interface between your data center and MNO for SIM card activation, charging, and other activities. When using MVNE typically you will rely on the connection they have already established with MNO and on their existing BSS.

Let's look at the differences between launching an independent MVNO using PortaBilling and launching an MVNO with MVNE in more detail in the table below:

The unique things you can only get with your own BSS (PortaBilling):

• Multi-MNO Capability: Partner with multiple Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), offering a wider range of services to customers.
• Potential to Resell: You have an opportunity to evolve into an MVNE by reselling PortaBilling partitions to other MVNOs, especially those on less versatile platforms.
• Revenue Boost: Obtain new value added services for extra profit via the Add-on Mart Marketplace.

You can use one of the following options:

1. Integrate a CRM system of your choice with PortaBilling using the PortaBilling API.
2. Use PortaOne Workflows, a low-code/no-code Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), to implement an integration with a CRM system of your choice without extensive development efforts.

You can save costs and effort by offering your subscribers a ready-to-use self-care web portal or mobile app instead of developing your own solution.

PortaOne Mobile Account Self-Care Portal enables mobile subscribers to access their account and manage services, e.g., check available minutes or activate new service bundles without sending a USSD code or contacting your support team. The subscribers can easily access the portal from a mobile browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, or by installing the app on iOS or Android devices.

To start offering the Mobile Account Self-Care Portal, you need to subscribe to the corresponding module in the Add-on Mart. You can publish your branded mobile app on the App Store or Google Play Store.

You can brand the PortaOne Mobile Account Self-Care Portal, accessible through the Add-on Mart, with your own logo.

If you work with sales partners like resellers or distributors, you can brand the built-in reseller and distributor portals that come with PortaBilling. This includes adding your company’s logo and name, and adjusting the color theme to match your company’s branding guidelines. Please note that this feature is only available for PortaBilling versions MR113 or later.

First of all, you need to sign an agreement with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) that is ready to provide you with their services. After that, you need to connect your Online Charging System (OCS), in this case PortaBilling, to the MNO’s network for processing authorization requests and producing user charges.

Typically, MNOs use the Diameter protocol, which is a standard protocol for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) in telecommunications networks based on 4G technology (most popular now).

PortaBilling supports the following Diameter interfaces:

• Diameter Gy –  real-time charging of data sessions
• Diameter Ro –  real-time charging of voice calls and SMS

Refer to the handbook for an example of the configuration of the Diameter real-time charging connection.

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) operations, such as balance inquiries, bundle activations, or interactive menus, are enabled through a USSD gateway. This gateway bridges the complex world of mobile protocols with the modern world of APIs. This is an external component which may be offered by your MNO or can be purchased alongside with other elements of the mobile core such as HLR or PCRF.

PortaBilling can be integrated with a USSD gateway via the API. Upon receiving a request, the gateway connects to PortaBilling via the API to extract the required information or perform necessary changes, such as assigning a new tariff plan.

Here’s how USSD operations work:

First you configure the service menu on the third-party USSD gateway and then provide the service codes to your subscribers upon signup. Say a subscriber wishes to check their account balance and dials a short USSD code, e.g., *123#. The USSD gateway receives the USSD request and queries PortaBilling for the subscriber account balance via the API. PortaBilling then identifies the subscriber’s account and returns their balance amount in the API response to the USSD gateway. The subscriber receives a USSD message displaying their balance, such as "Your current balance is 10 USD.”

Integration with a specific USSD gateway can be implemented as part of PortaOne professional services. This integration enables the gateway to use the appropriate API methods to query balances, retrieve information about remaining monthly quotas, change products, and more. An example of a recently completed interop for USSD operations is Pharos Charging Interworking Gateway (Pharos CIG) which is used in South Africa.

PortaBilling supports mobile number portability (MNP) functionality. For instance, if a user dials a number such as (555) 123-4567, that originally belonged to Operator A but has since been transferred to Operator B, PortaBilling automatically identifies the current operator of the number. PortaBilling then routes the call to Operator B and applies Operator B’s rate for the call. This ensures calls are always directed correctly and billed according to the current service provider’s charges.

When a customer signs up for your services and wishes to keep their phone number, PortaBilling sends a port-in request to the relevant authority to transfer the number to your network. Whereas if the customer decides to switch to another service provider, PortaBilling receives a port-out request, leading to the closure of the customer’s account in your system.

However, the process of obtaining information about already ported numbers and managing number porting requests differs in each country, as different authorities oversee MNP requests.

To integrate with these authorities and their services, which are offered through API, thorough investigation and tailored implementation are necessary. PortaOne offers two options for this integration:

• Developing it as part of our professional services.
• Using PortaOne Workflows to implement it yourself.

The standard for exchanging the roaming сharges is TAP3 (Transferred Account Procedure version 3). PortaBilling allows you to easily import roaming CDRs (also referred to as xDRs) in TAP3 files into PortaBilling. The only aspect requiring coordination is how these files are transferred: whether PortaBilling automatically downloads them from your roaming partner or if your partner uploads them to PortaBilling via FTP/SFTP.

If your roaming partner doesn't use TAP3, other supported file formats include CSV (Comma-Separated Values), Fixed-width, and Generic XML.

However, importing roaming xDRs from these files can introduce risks such as potential balance overdrafts and fraud. Сonsider a scenario in which PortaBilling receives xDRs for a customer who, while roaming in a foreign country for one week, accumulates $100 in service charges, but their pre-paid balance is only $10. This discrepancy can result in revenue loss. To mitigate such risks, many roaming partners have switched to using real-time Diameter requests for charging. This method is preferred for its ability to prevent balance overdraft and enhance fraud protection by enabling immediate charge calculations.

Yes, it's possible. Here's how you can set this up using PortaBilling:

• Define custom services: Within PortaBilling you can define an unlimited number of custom services to cover external services such as streaming packages. These can be integrated either as a part of the main product or as an add-on product that customers purchase.
• Automate the service activation and deactivation: Connect PortaBilling with the external service provider’s backend. This can be achieved using low-code or regular programming tools. This integration ensures that customer actions like new subscriptions activate the service automatically. Similarly, it handles service blocking when an account is closed or suspended due to non-payment.
• Enable real-time charging for on-demand services: For one-time service charges, such as a $5 fee to watch a special event (e.g., a boxing or football match), you can utilize PortaBilling's real-time charging capabilities. The Charging API module, available via Add-on Mart Marketplace, enables PortaBilling to perform real-time authorization and charge for external services. In this scenario, funds are immediately withdrawn from the customer’s pre-paid balance upon service activation.
• Import charges post-factum: For certain services where real-time charging cannot be implemented, such as parking services (e.g., metered or mobile app-based parking) that may incur fines from authorities for exceeding time limits or incorrect parking at a later date, PortaBilling provides the option to import batch charges from files. However, this method can lead to issues such as balance overdrafts and potential revenue loss, since customers may accumulate a significant amount of these delayed charges.

PortaBilling enables you to store any number of custom attributes for customers, e.g., passport ID, and program your local no-code integrations with external systems imposed by your government or used at the point of sale. This allows you to create an automated workflow that satisfies the local Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.

Contact our business analysts to correctly map what is required and identify which solution component should be used to construct individual steps of this process.

For both the mobile network and PortaBilling, there is no difference between an eSIM (embedded SIM) and a physical SIM card. The registration process, based on the IMSI and authorization keys stored on the SIM card, is identical for the mobile network, and the information recorded in the HLR/HSS is exactly the same. PortaBilling allows you to store eSIM card data, such as IMSI and activation code (which an authorized user receives as a QR code to download the eSIM profile to their mobile phone), alongside the information about physical SIM cards.

However, to provide eSIM cards, you additionally need an eSIM provisioning platform that allows users' mobile phones to connect to it, for instance, by scanning a QR code, and to download eSIM profiles that contain authentication keys and other related information.

An eSIM provisioning platform may be offered by your MNO, although this is relatively uncommon as many MNOs have not yet adopted this technology. Alternatively, you can opt for integration with an external eSIM platform. PortaOne has successfully partnered with the Nordic eSIM platform and developed an integration via PortaOne Workflows. This setup can serve as a template for you to develop your own integration with any eSIM platform of your choice.

For more information on eSIM service, you can watch the related videos:

To enable SIM card provisioning to the MNO’s network, it's necessary to store the SIM card information in the SIM card inventory in PortaBilling. In addition to parameters required for provisioning of SIM card to HSS/HLR (IMSI) we also allow storage of additional info that is required for customer support, for instance, default PIN written on the SIM card when it is shipped, PUK1, PUK2, activation code for eSIM (if you have an eSIM platform), and more. You can enter these details into dedicated fields when manually adding SIM cards or by uploading them from a file. Additionally, if you need to store custom information about SIM cards, such as the marketplace where they are offered or the name of the SIM card provider, you can create custom fields within the SIM inventory.

With the multi-IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) functionality, a device can use multiple SIM card profiles, each containing a distinct IMSI, within a single physical SIM card. This means that a mobile phone can automatically connect to multiple mobile networks, typically when a device (fleet tracking sensor installed in a truck) travels across different countries or regions, without the need to physically change SIM cards. For example, if the device is in an area where Operator A lacks coverage, the device will automatically switch to the IMSI of Operator B to maintain mobile network access. This functionality improves connectivity and allows users to avoid expensive roaming charges while using the same SIM card. The algorithm of IMSI switching is fully implemented at the SIM card level.

There are several ways to implement the association of multiple IMSIs to the end-user account on the PortaBilling side, such as using aliases on accounts or beneficiary accounts. The specific method depends on your requirements such as how these multiple IMSIs should be provisioned and so on. Therefore, it would be best to discuss this with PortaOne's business analysts.