A pricing proposal for a QoS enabled UMTS network

Abstract

Third generation networks e.g. the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) provide higher data transfer rates which enables the transport of real-time multimedia traffic e.g. streaming video. The cost of Internet access over mobile networks remains high yet user demand for mobile services is increasing rapidly. In order for mobile computing to become viable, the deployment of charging schemes that would see the cost of communication reflect the utilization of resources on the network is necessary. A dynamic charging scheme is an attractive solution. When prices change, users need to indicate their willingness to continue using the service especially when a price increase is beyond the level they anticipated. In this paper we propose a charging scheme that relies on the congestion at the RNC of the UMTS to calculate pricing coefficients, which are in turn used in determining the charge incurred for using the network. The use of user profiles and network agents in the management of the charging scheme is also explored.