PCC in action – multi SIM, no charge music service & on net calling

Following the release of our recent white paper – How PCC Can Provide A Competitive Edge, here we take another look at how PCC is working in real life cases. In this blog post we will be focusing on how PCC works to enable a multi SIM joint data bucket, can offer a no charge music service and facilitate on net internet calling.

According to market understanding, most people these days own at least 3 SIM enabled devices – a mobile phone (or 2), a tablet and a home device. In this scenario, the operator offers a single subscription which includes 3 SIM cards.

With this kind of multi SIM subscription, all 3 SIMs consume data from the same ‘bucket’. Each SIM has a pre-allocated minimum; to ensure that one single device does not deplete the overall shared bucket allowance. SIMs can be configured using the client GUI or an API, allowing for an exceptionally quick TTM, enabling operators to easily disrupt the market.

A multi SIM joint data bucket can be realised using the Symsoft OCS, which utilises IN, and Diameter specified interfaces, various subscriber individual counters and an integrated SPR. Symsoft also offer Managed Services to help operators realise this kind of offering.

Subscribers understandably have concerns about how much data the services they consume use on their phones and tablets. Most subscription plans have built in allowances that can be used up fairly quickly, depending on what information is being accessed. Text messages and calls are now mostly based on an ‘all you can eat’ plan, but consumption of data is another matter. It’s extremely important for operators to understand these concerns, and adapt their services to suit this behaviour trend – i.e. adapt their offering to reflect OTT app usage rather than pure data traffic.

One way of winning customers in this scenario is by differentiating pricing based on the OTT app generating the traffic. For example, configuring subscriptions to neither use up data allowance or charge for data consumption when it comes to specific music streaming services / apps. This can only be realised when real-time control of the data traffic is working on the operator network, Symsoft Policy and Charging Control can bring this capability to the operator’s architecture.

Something that needs to be noted in this scenario is that regulations in certain markets may block this kind of offering due to ‘Net Neutrality’, where MNOs are not allowed to give one app an advantage over another one offering the same service.

In this scenario, the home operator, i.e. the operator in the country where the subscriber lives, offers ‘On Net’ pricing for international calls made to someone who has a subscription with the same operator brand in the country being called.

For example, someone in the UK who has a subscription with Vodafone, calling a friend who lives in Germany who is also on Vodafone, will be deemed ‘On Net’, and so are only charged a local call rate, whereas if the person in Germany receiving the call was on O2, the call would be charged as a regular international call.

To find out more about how PCC can help with digital transformation, download your free copy of our white paper today.

Originally posted on www.symsoft.com, find out more about Symsoft’s rebrand to Sinch in the press release here.