Patent ID: 9641345
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: G06Q,H04L

Claim:
1. A method of providing a telecommunications link between a first user and a second user in a telecommunications network, the method comprising: receiving in the telecommunications network, a call setup connection request from the first user to provide a telecommunications link to the second user over the telecommunications network, the telecommunications network being a mobile telephone network to which the first and second users are subscribers; determining, based on information from a remote server hosting an external and independent networked community of users in which users interact over a social group platform external to and independent of the telecommunications network, whether the first user and the second user have a pre-existing, specified relationship to each other in the external and independent networked community of users, wherein said determining comprises, establishing the telecommunications link in the telecommunications network between the first user and the second user; and specifying a billing policy setting for the telecommunications link in the telecommunications network based on said determining whether the first user and the second user have the pre-existing, specified relationship to each other in the external and independent networked community of users, wherein said billing policy setting specifies a discounted rate charged by the telecommunications network to said first user for said telecommunications link in the telecommunications network when the first user and the second user have the pre-existing, specified relationship to each other in the external and independent networked community of users.