METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRE-CACHING IN A TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

The present invention relates to file pre-caching and file retrieving in an autonomous network access module comprising a local storage, and providing network connectivity to a mobile device in a telecommunication system. The network access module comprises a local storage and provides network connectivity to a mobile device (100) within which it is comprised. A received file request to a global radio network (10) from the mobile device (100) is intercepted, where after the file is searched for among available pre-cached files, which may reside within the local storage controlled by the network access module itself, or within a local storage of a peer network access module in a local radio network 70. If the file is found within available pre-cached files, it is transparently transferred over a bus interface to the requesting mobile device. During transfer, the amount of data is measured, and the measurements are subsequently used during an accounting stage where charging related information is reported to a charging module 80 in the global radio network 10. Files may be pre-cached in a distributed storage comprised by a group of network access modules conjoined by a local radio network 70. Files allotted for pre-caching by a network operator are received and stored in network access modules but are not billed unless the files are actually consumed.