System and methods for enabling sponsored data access across multiple carriers

摘要

A service and system for providing sponsored data, wherein the data usage is not charged to a mobile subscriber but, rather, paid for by a sponsor. The system and service is mobile-operator neutral and exists separate and apart from any given mobile network. The system provides, to mobile network operators and sponsoring entities, a single domain name (TLD). The TLD is white-listed, in wild-card form, by the mobile network operator so that the operator will know to zero rate any data traffic associated with the TLD. Sponsoring entities are also provided with a unique identifier. The unique identifier is concatenated, as a pre-pend, to the TLD, thereby generating a FQDN that (1) identifies associated data traffic as being “sponsored” and (2) identifies the entity sponsoring the data. The system monitors data usage associated with each FQDN and prepares a bill that charges each sponsoring entity for the data usage associated with the particular FQDN.

主权项

1. A method for providing access to sponsored data, wherein the method comprises:
on-boarding a first mobile network operator (MNO) by transmitting an MNO-independent top level domain (TLD) from a first server to the first MNO, wherein the TLD is associated with sponsored data and is used by the first MNO to zero rate any data passing through the first mobile network that is associated with the address, and wherein, if any further MNOs are on-boarded, the first server transmits to said further MNOs the same MNO-independent TLD that was transmitted to the first MNO, thereby enabling said further MNOs to zero rate any data associated with the MNO-independent TLD to the extent such data is passim through respective networks of the further MNOs; on-boarding a first sponsor by transmitting a first unique identifier and the TLD from the first server to the first sponsor, wherein the first unique identifier and the TLD are concatenated, the first unique identifier as a pre-pend, generating a first fully qualified domain name (FQDN), and wherein the first FQDN is not provided to the first mobile network operator; monitoring, at a second server, usage of data associated with the first FQDN; and preparing, at a third server, a bill, wherein the bill is based on the monitored usage.