Use Case
Charging Interworking Function
An interworking function for online charging in a telecom network is needed when there is a requirement to perform credit control and authorization for prepaid services in real time. Online charging allows the network to check the user's account balance and grant or deny access to the service based on the available credit. Online charging also updates the user's account balance immediately after each service usage event, and can notify the user of the remaining credit or terminate the service when the credit is exhausted.
Online charging is different from offline charging, which collects data about service usage and generates charging data records (CDRs) that are sent to the billing system for postpaid services. Offline charging does not require real-time interaction with the user's account, and does not affect the service delivery or consumption.
An interworking function for online charging in a telecom network acts as a bridge between the service element and the online charging system (OCS). The service element, such as an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) or a 5G network function, monitors the service usage and sends online charging triggers to the interworking function. The interworking function converts these triggers into Diameter messages and forwards them to the OCS. The OCS performs credit authorization and reservation, and sends back Diameter messages to the interworking function. The interworking function converts these messages into online charging responses and sends them back to the service element. The service element then allows or denies the service delivery based on the online charging responses.
An interworking function for online charging in a telecom network is necessary to enable prepaid services in a standardized and interoperable way, using the Diameter protocol as defined by 3GPP. It also provides flexibility and scalability for supporting different types of services and charging models in a telecom network.
Harmonization of 4G OCS with 3G and 5G cores
Harmonization of 3G OCS with 4G and 5G cores
Replacing a telecom online charging system (OCS) is a painful process that involves many challenges and risks. An OCS is a complex system that handles the real-time billing and charging of telecom services, such as voice calls, data usage, SMS, roaming, etc. It interacts with many other systems, such as network elements, customer relationship management (CRM), provisioning, mediation, rating, etc. It also supports various business functions, such as pricing plans, promotions, discounts, bundles, etc.
Replacing an OCS requires a careful planning and execution of several steps, such as:
Analyzing the current OCS architecture, functionality, performance, and limitations
Selecting a new OCS vendor and solution that meets the business and technical requirements
Designing and testing the integration of the new OCS with the existing systems and processes
Migrating the existing data and configuration from the old OCS to the new OCS
Training the staff and customers on how to use the new OCS
Monitoring and troubleshooting the new OCS during and after the launch
Each of these steps can pose significant challenges and risks, such as:
Compatibility issues between the old and new OCS systems and interfaces
Data loss or corruption during the migration process
Performance degradation or service disruption during the integration or launch phases
Customer dissatisfaction or churn due to changes in billing or charging behavior or errors
Regulatory or legal compliance issues due to changes in pricing or taxation rules
Cost overruns or delays due to unforeseen technical or operational issues
Therefore, replacing an OCS is a painful process that requires a lot of time, resources, and expertise. It should only be done when there is a clear business case and a well-defined strategy for minimizing the risks and maximizing the benefits. Making use of the charging interworking function (CHF-IWF) represents considerable cost and time savings and allows network operators to evolve their network cores without carying on the costs of implementing a new billing solution.