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Authors: Mr. Avi Ofrane
Mr. Lawrence Harte
Number of Pages: 52
Copyright: 2006

Printed or Electronic Version (2.8MB) Available - Electronic Version has Color Diagrams





Introduction to Wireless Billing explains billing system operation for wireless systems, how these billing systems are a bit different than traditional billing systems, and how these systems are changing to permit billing of non-traditional products and services.

This book explains how companies bill for wireless voice, data, and information services. Billing and customer care for wireless systems convert the measured amounts of services (bytes of digital information transmitted or information services provided) within a network into the money that will be more....

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Sample Diagrams

There are more than 11 explanatory diagrams and in this book

Wireless Billing System

This figure shows an overview of a billing and customer care system that is used for wireless communication services. This diagram shows the key billing steps. First, the network records events that contain usage information (for example, connection date and time, call destination, call duration or data volume) that is related to a specific event. Next, these events are combined and reformatted into a single call detail record (CDR). Because these events only contain network usage information, the identity of the user must be matched (guided) to the call detail record and the charging rate for the call must be determined. After the total charge for the call is calculated using the charging rate, the billing record is updated and is sent to a bill pool (list of ready-to-bill call records). Periodically, a bill is produced for the customer and as payments are received, they are recorded (posted) to the customer's account.


Mediation System

This figure shows a mediation system that takes call detail records from several different switches and reformats them into standard call detail records that are sent to the billing system. This diagram shows the mediation device is capable of receiving and decoding proprietary data formats from three different switch manufacturers. The mediation device converts these formats into a standard call detail record (CDR) format that can be used by the billing system.


Ciber Record Structure

This figure shows some of the information (fields) contained in a type 22 CIBER record. This example shows that the type 22 Ciber record field structure has been updated from the previous type 20 record structure to include additional fields that allow for telephone number portability (enabling telephone number transfer between carriers). This list shows that fields in the Ciber record primarily include identification of airtime charges, taxes, and interconnection (toll) charges.


Table of Contents

Introduction to Billing
- Types of Services
- Standard Billing Process
- Real Time Billing
- Multilingual Support
- Multiple Currencies
- Inter-carrier Financial Settlements

Billing Process
- Event Sources and Tracking
- Mediation Devices
- Call Detail Records (CDRs)

Major Billing Functions
- The Rating Engine
- Invoicing: The Back End Process
-Clearinghouses
- Invoices
- Management Reporting
- Invoice Generation
- Payment Processing
- Posting to the Financial System

Customer Care
- Account Activation
- Account Management

Billing System Costs
- Hardware and Software
- Cycle Billing (Batching)
- Bill Printing and Mailing
- Call Center
- Collections

Billing Standards
- Exchange Message Record (EMR)
- Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR)
- Automatic Message Accounting (AMA)
- Carrier Interexchange Billing Exchange Record (CIBER)
- Transferred Accounting Process (TAP)
- Network Data Management – Usage (NDM-U)
- Data Message Handler (DMH) Interim Standard 124 (IS-124)

The Future of Billing and Customer Care
- Applications Service Providers (ASPs)
- Local Number Portability (LNP)
- Customer Self-Care






About the Authors

Avi Ofrane founded the Billing College in 1996, a training company addressing the converging market trends associated with telecommunications Billing and Customer Care. The Billing College is a spin-off company of Mr. Ofrane's technology consulting company, Jupiter Data, Inc., established in 1990. Mr. Ofrane began his career in 1977 as an analyst with the IBM Corporation and has since 1982 concentrated exclusively on the telecommunications industry, in which he is now a recognized expert in Billing and Customer Care. Throughout his extensive career, Mr. Ofrane has been involved in all aspects of the industry, from strategic planning and executive management to vendor evaluation and project implementation. Mr. Ofrane lectures extensively on Billing and Customer Care issues, strategies, methodologies, and practices. He is a frequently requested speaker at major North American and European conferences. Mr. Ofrane is currently President and CEO of the Billing College, as well as a master instructor of the company's courses. Mr. Ofrane is the co-author of the book "Telecom Made Simple" and has written numerous articles for international trade publications. Mr. Ofrane holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Pennsylvania State University.

Mr. Lawrence Harte has over 29 years of experience in the electronics industry including company leadership, product management, development, marketing, design, and testing of telecommunications (cellular), radar, and microwave systems. He has been issued patents relating to cellular technology. He has authored over 75 articles on related subjects and has been a speaker and panel moderator at industry trade events. Mr. Harte earned executive MBA at Wake Forest University and received his Bachelors degree from University of the State of New York. During the TDMA digital cellular standard development process, Mr. Harte served as an editor and voting company representative for the Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA) TR45.3, digital cellular standards committee. As of 2003, Mr. Harte had authored and co-authored over 50 books relating to telecommunications technology. He has served as a consultant and expert witness for leading companies including Ericsson, Siemens, VLSI, AMD, Casio, Samsung, Sony, ATT, Nokia, Hughes and many others.

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Description

Introduction to Wireless Billing explains billing system operation for wireless systems, how these billing systems are a bit different than traditional billing systems, and how these systems are changing to permit billing of non-traditional products and services.

This book explains how companies bill for wireless voice, data, and information services. Billing and customer care for wireless systems convert the measured amounts of services (bytes of digital information transmitted or information services provided) within a network into the money that will be received by the service provider.

The billing systems used in wireless systems can vary from simple one time charges for hot-spot wireless access points to integrated mobile cellular systems that allow real-time (near instant) activation and prepayment of services.

The authors have interviewed and worked with hundreds of wireless service provider companies to discover the ways wireless billing systems operate. You will learn the language and terms used in the setup and operation wireless billing system systems along with the format and important information parts of wireless billing records.

The popular wireless billing industry standards are described and explained including CIBER, TAP3, and IPDR. Covered are the basic processes used to assign costs (rate) to the usage of transmission and information services. Discussed are the ways that charges can be settled between wireless service providers who allow visitors to use their systems. Included is a basic introduction to how services can be instantly provided and how billing is performed for wireless hot-spot services.

This book provides a basic introduction to the payment options that may be provided to the customer and how these payment options operate. A basic description of the process to setup a simple billing system is also included.

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