Congestion control for radio access networks (RAN)

摘要

Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling congestion in a Radio Access Network (RAN). One embodiment comprises a charging system of a network. The charging system receives a traffic report for a RAN indicating a congestion condition in an area of the RAN. The charging system then identifies a subscriber in the area of the RAN, identifies a service plan for the subscriber, and generates modified rules that deviate from predefined rules in the service plan of the subscriber in response to the congestion condition. The charging system then provides the modified rules to a network entity, such as a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), that performs policy and charging control for a service requested by the subscriber.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a charging system configured to charge for sessions established over a packet core network, the charging system comprising:
a traffic unit configured to periodically receive traffic reports for a Radio Access Network (RAN) that provides connectivity of mobile devices to the packet core network, and to analyze the traffic reports to detect a congested cell of the RAN that is experiencing excessive traffic; anda rules controller configured to store service plans for subscribers;the rules controller is configured to identify a plurality of subscribers located in the congested cell;for each subscriber located in the congested cell, the rules controller is configured to identify a service plan that includes predefined rules for the subscriber, to generate modified rules that deviate from the predefined rules in the service plan of the subscriber to discourage the subscriber from accessing services while located in the congested cell, to provide the modified rules to a network entity that performs policy and charging control for services requested by the subscriber to temporarily change the rules that are applied for the services while the subscriber is located in the congested cell, and to revert back to the predefined rules when the subscriber leaves the congested cell.