Integration with ZTE EPC

PortaBilling supports the provisioning of LTE/3G services to ZTE EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and provides quota control for these services. You can combine PortaBilling as both the online charging system and the SIM card provisioning system with ZTE equipment.

The ZTE Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) is the point of entry to the LTE network. PortaBilling is integrated with ZTE P-GW as the OCS (Online Charging System) to perform real-time user authorization and charging. This enables wireless operators to provide full-scale LTE services to subscribers.

PortaBilling communicates with the ZTE P-GW via Diameter (Gy) to authorize user sessions and either disconnect a session or redirect a user to a hotline portal when they run out of funds or exceed their allocated quota.

ZTE P-GW supports rating groups. This enables you to introduce content-based billing wherein you charge users differently depending on the type of Internet traffic they consume. For example, you charge users for online games and to watch YouTube, while regular browsing, using email, and having access to their self-care portal are free of charge.

When an administrator makes changes for an account in PortaBilling (to create, block or change a product/their Internet access policy, etc.),  PortaBilling immediately provisions the updated data to the ZTE HSS (Home Subscriber Server) or the ZTE SPR (Subscription Profile Repository). HSS then provides centralized user authentication across the network and SPR manages users’ service policies. This way, user data is always up-to-date in ZTE.

PortaBilling can also independently serve as the B/OSS system for LTE services. It manages customer data (including unified balance), service configuration details, product/rate tables, etc. for LTE just as for other services. Therefore, by using PortaBilling as a unified platform, you reduce your administration costs and improve the user experience.

In LTE networks deployed with ZTE equipment, services for subscribers are activated based on the PAKID value. The PAKID value defines which Internet quota is available for a subscriber and is taken from the accounts’ product configuration provisioned by PortaBilling.

By provisioning several PAKID values via add-on products, you can allocate multiple Internet quotas within ZTE EPC for subscribers and then allow them to modify their product configuration a la carte. PortaBilling provisions a PAKID value to ZTE SPR as soon as a subscriber assigns an add-on product and ZTE SPR allocates the corresponding quota for the subscriber. As a result, the subscriber receives the service based on the combination of the PAKID values and according to add-on precedence.

Consider the following example: Smart Net is an LTE service provider. They offer a 1 GB Internet quota for their basic service and the following additional service packages:

• 2 GB "Turbo" quota available within 24 hours and
• 5 GB of "Regular Internet access" quota available within 30 days.

These service packages are configured as the following add-on products in PortaBilling:

• "Turbo" add-on product with high precedence level and
• "Regular Internet access" add-on product with medium precedence level.

John Doe has basic LTE service. In a week, he uses all the allocated 1 GB Internet quota so he is then redirected to his self-care portal. There he signs up for both service packages. His product configuration now includes the "Turbo" add-on product with an expiration date of 24 hours and the "Regular Internet access" add-on product with an expiration date of 30 days. Thus, John Doe uses the "Turbo" quota first and once it expires, he uses the "Regular Internet access" quota.

To configure add-on product provisioning to ZTE EPC, include the LTE service and Internet access policy with the PAKID value defined in the product configuration.

Add-on product provisioning for ZTE EPC enables ISPs to provide various service packages to their customers, making them more competitive in the market while growing their customers’ loyalty.

Alternatively, for quota control organized within ZTE EPC, you can deploy PortaBilling as the online charging system (OCS) in your LTE network. Thereby you gain advanced control over your service provisioning by receiving information about monthly quotas, service wallets, and current usage bars and rollovers in one single location.