Patent Publication Number: US-10318961-B2

Title: Method and arrangement for providing network events

Description:
This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/SE2011/050024 filed 12 Jan. 2011 which designated the U.S., the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates generally to a method and arrangement for providing information on network events. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Decreasing the rate of subscribing customers who are leaving for another mobile operator, i.e. churn rate, is currently an objective for most mobile operators in competitive markets with high mobile subscription penetration. In most markets, so called “loss leader” introductory offers are common in order to stimulate new subscribers to switch from their current mobile operator to a new mobile operator. Loss leader offers are often priced as cheap as possible and thus often contributes a loss with each sale. Consequently, replacing lost subscribers can negatively affect profitability of the mobile operator since loss leader offers may be needed. It is therefore of great interest to ensure the satisfaction of subscribers in a mobile network. 
     One significant component in increasing the subscriber satisfaction may be a dynamic and capable customer care function. A satisfied subscriber is less prone to switch mobile operator. The customer care is the primary interface towards the subscriber when problems arise. Thus, the capability of the customer care may be of importance in keeping the subscriber satisfied which in the prolongation may lead to a decreased churn rate. 
     The likelihood of solving a subscribing customer&#39;s issue at the customer care function strongly depends on the available information which is associated with the subscriber, i.e. it is important that the customer care function can access recent, accurate and relevant call and account history. In fact, the vast majority of issues handled by customer care are related to the most recent events. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , which is block chart showing a network architecture according to the prior art, account and call history in relation to customer care will now be described. 
     Terminals  101 , 102 , 103  are present in cells associated with radio base stations  100   a ,  100   b  in the access network  105 . The radio base stations  100   a ,  100   b  are connected to a radio base station controller  111  which is arranged in connection with the core network  113 . Network events, taking place in the access network  105 , the core network  113  or in the Business Support System (BSS)  120  e.g. in the billing and rating system  124 , are provided to a data warehouse  121 . The network events may be represented by Call Data Records (CDR). Typically, CDRs for multiple customers are stored in a file in an interim position within the core network  113 . The file, containing the CDRs, is then typically sent to the data warehouse  121  at certain intervals. 
     When an agent  124  of a customer care unit  123  wants to fetch the account and call history, the customer care unit  123  requests, from the data warehouse  121 , a list of the most recent network events associated with the subscriber. The customer care unit  123  will then receive a data set comprising the network event data for said subscriber, available at that moment in the data warehouse. 
     Using the customer care unit  123  as described above, the customer care unit agent  124  will have to actively fetch the network event data from the data warehouse  121  to acquire the most recent network events. Therefore, the customer care unit agent  124  only has a snapshot of the network event history which may be insufficient to solve the customer&#39;s  125  issue which may need evaluation of events over a longer period as well as ongoing events. 
     The only way for the customer care unit agent to ensure that the most recent events are presented is to continuously poll the system. Having one or more customer care agents continuously polling the customer care unit and the data warehouse in parallel will lead to a high, in some cases critical, system load. Even more importantly, using the prior art system of  FIG. 1  may not enable the customer care unit agent to acquire sufficient information in order to solve the customer&#39;s issue. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the invention to address at least some of the limitations, problems and issues outlined above. It is also an object to improve the process of providing information regarding network events in an access network to a customer care unit. It may be possible to achieve these objects and others by using a method and an arrangement as defined in the attached independent claims. 
     According to one aspect, a method is provided in a customer care unit for providing information regarding network events associated with a subscriber in an access network. A customer care session may be initiated between a customer care unit and a data warehouse. The session can refer to an identity of the subscriber. A subscription to network events associated with the subscriber can be done, where the data warehouse may subscribe to a stream of ongoing network events. The content of the stream normally refers to the identity of the subscriber. Information is received from the data warehouse, where the information regards ongoing network events which are triggered by one or more communications between a terminal of the subscriber and a network element in the network. The information is provided to a customer care agent from the customer care unit. 
     According to another aspect, a method is provided in a data warehouse for providing information regarding network events associated with a subscriber in an access network. The data warehouse may receive a subscription request referring to the subscriber from a customer care unit. The data warehouse may subscribe to a stream of ongoing network events. The content of the stream may refer to the identity of the subscriber. The data warehouse recognizes an ongoing network event associated with the subscription. The network event may be triggered by one or more communications between a terminal of the subscriber and a network element in the network. The data warehouse may then provide an update comprising information about the recognized network event to the customer care unit. 
     According to another aspect, an arrangement in a data warehouse is provided. The data warehouse may be adapted to provide information regarding network events which may be associated with a subscriber in an access network. The data warehouse may comprise an initiation unit which may be adapted to initiate a customer care session with a customer care unit. The session may refer an identity of the subscriber. The data warehouse may further comprise a subscription unit which may be adapted to subscribe the customer care unit to a stream of is ongoing network events. The network events may be associated with the identity of the subscriber. The data warehouse may further comprise a recognizing unit which may be adapted to recognize ongoing network events which are associated with the identity of the subscriber. The data warehouse may also comprise a providing unit which may be adapted to provide information regarding the network events to the customer care unit, where the providing unit may further be adapted to provide updated information to the customer care unit. The updated information may be based on the network events recognized by the updating unit and the subscription provided by the subscription unit. 
     According to another aspect, a system for providing information regarding network events is provided, where the network events are associated with a subscriber in an access network. The system comprises a data warehouse which is adapted to receive and store information referring to network events. The system further comprises one or more network elements which are adapted to send information referring to one or more network events to the data warehouse. The network events are triggered by one or more communications between a terminal of the subscriber and the network element. A customer care unit is comprised in the system. The customer care unit is adapted to initiate a customer care session with the data warehouse referring to an identity of the subscriber, wherein the customer care unit is further adapted to request, from the data warehouse, a subscription to network events associated with the subscriber. The data warehouse is further adapted to subscribe to a stream of ongoing network events based on the request from the customer care unit. The content of the stream refers to the identity of the subscriber. The data warehouse is further adapted to provide updated information to the customer care unit, based on the stream of ongoing network events. 
     By using the methods, systems and/or arrangement presented above, a customer care agent may serve a customer in a more satisfying manner. The customer care agent may continuously have access to the most recent information regarding the customer. 
     The above methods, system and arrangements may be configured and implemented according to different embodiments. In one example embodiment, the requesting of a subscription, from the customer care unit to the data warehouse, further comprises to fetch a network event history comprising the most recent network events. 
     According to another example embodiment, the customer care unit may provide a request of unsubscribing to the stream of network events to the data warehouse. The request may be provided if the customer care session is deactivated. 
     According to another possible embodiment, the customer care unit may provide the request of unsubscribing if a customer terminates a call with the customer care agent or if the session has been inactive for a predetermined time period. 
     According to another example embodiment, where the identity may comprise of at least one of: a Subscription-Id-Type Attribute Value Pair (AVP), Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), Network Access Identifier (NAI) or a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). According to another example embodiment the identity may be an internet user account. 
     According to another possible embodiment, a diameter based protocol may be used to form the communication between the customer care unit and the data warehouse and/or between the network elements and the data warehouse. 
     According to one example embodiment, the network element may provide the network event to the data warehouse using a Call Data Record (CDR) and/or a diameter based protocol. 
     According to another possible embodiment, the customer care unit may determine and indicate to the customer care unit whether or not the received network event is related to any one of the network events of the network event history. 
     Further possible features and benefits of this solution will become apparent from the detailed description below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a first exemplifying network architecture comprising terminals, access network, core network and a customer care system, according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplifying flow of events and information in a system layout, according to an exemplifying embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a signaling diagram illustrating communication between an agent, a customer care unit, a data warehouse and a network element, according to an possible embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a signaling diagram illustrating an certain exemplifying embodiment using diameter commands for communication between a customer care unit, a data warehouse and a network element. 
         FIG. 5 a    is a flow chart illustrating a procedure in a customer care unit, according to a possible example embodiment. 
         FIG. 5 b    is a flow chart illustrating a procedure in data warehouse, according to a possible example embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating an arrangement of a customer care unit, according to an exemplifying embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating an arrangement of a data warehouse unit, according to an exemplifying embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating an arrangement in a customer care unit, according to an exemplifying embodiment 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Briefly described, a solution is provided for providing information on the most recent network events associated with a subscriber in an access network to an entity in a customer management system. The solution may be used to enable customer care agents to enhance the level of customer care service towards a customer and thereby decrease the risk and/or rate of the customer changing operator, i.e. to churn. 
     In this description, the term “network events” is used to indicate that a terminal, which is associated with a subscriber, performs an action of some sort. A network event may be any type of communication between the terminal and the communication network which is managed by the mobile operator. Network events may be caused by the user interaction with the terminal. However, with more advanced terminals and with the stable and high capacity networks of today, terminals tend to be always online and always connected. Thus, the terminal is constantly causing network events with services running at the terminal. 
     In the core network, network events may relate to the consumption of voice session time, data volume transferred in a data transfer session. In the above mentioned examples, the information can be provided to a revenue management system in real time using credit control or after the event using CDRs. 
     Network events may also be created in service networks. Then, the network event typically relates to the usage of a service. One certain example could be the number of sent messages; the time used watching Internet Protocol-TV (IPTV) or the number of downloaded media titles. 
     Another instance in a network, which may produce network events is the revenue management system. The revenue management system may produce network events when a subscriber&#39;s account is changed or manipulated. The revenue management system may also produce network events regarding the cost of a usage of a service, voice session or data session. According to another example, events related to the lifecycle of subscriptions may also produce network events. Examples of lifecycle events may be re-activation or inactivation of a subscription. 
     The term “network events” should not be limited by the above mentioned examples. Generally network events may comprise any information which concerns a subscriber in a communication network. In order to associate the network events with one or more subscribers, an identity of the subscriber is needed. The identity may be contextual depending on the issue of the customer and the service used by the subscriber. Therefore, in this description, the term “identities” is used to indicate one or more identities of a subscriber. The identity may be valid in the network which is managed by the operator. In such case, the identity is normally a public identity which is defined in one or more of the standards in the art. Below follows a non-limiting list of some examples of identities which may be used to associate network events to a subscriber. 
     One example of an identifier may be a Subscription-Id-Type Attribute Value Pair (AVP) which is a diameter based identifier. Another example of an identifier type in an access network may be an identifier of the International E.164 format, such as the Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) format. Another type of identifier which may be used in mobile access network is the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). Yet another possible identifier may be a Network Access Identifier (NAI). In some applications, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) may be used in order to identify a subscriber. 
     Due to the convergence of services, also identities from the private domain may be used in relation to certain services. Such services may generally relate to accounts which are managed and/or used by the subscriber. Certain examples of such services are Twitter, Facebook, Google or Yahoo. In a prolongation of new emerging services, the identity may, in fact, be any account which is related in any way to the customer management system. 
     A system comprising arrangements for providing information on network events to a customer management entity will now be disclosed with reference to  FIG. 2 . A customer  201  contacts an agent  209  with an issue associated with any one of the customer&#39;s terminals. This may for example be done by calling the customer support, via electronic customer support or by visiting a physical customer support site. 
     A flow of events will now be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . In a first action  2 . 1 , the terminal  202  may connect to an access network  203 . The access network enables communication between the terminal  201  and at least one network element  204  in action  2 : 2 . The network element  204  may typically be arranged in the access network, the core network or in a service network. 
     Thus, the terminal communicates with network elements via the access network, which in turn creates one or more network events which are registered to a Business Support System (BSS)  220  in action  2 : 3 . The network events may normally be provided in action  2 : 3  to a revenue management system  205 . However, modifications are possible such that information on network events are provided to other entities in the BSS or in a Operations Support System (OSS)  220 . According to an example embodiment, the information on the network events may be created for accounting and credit control purposes. 
     In action  2 : 4 , information on real-time or past are network events provided to the data warehouse  206 . This may be done by using CDRs or by real time updates using for instance diameter based protocols which will be further described below. It should be understood that the data warehouse  206  may comprise and receive information regarding network events from one or more network elements. 
     A data warehouse may be a database used for reporting to various functions of the OSS. Data is may be provided from the network elements to the OSS for purposes of reporting. The data may pass through an operational data store for additional operations before it is used in the data warehouse for reporting. 
     In order to determine the cause of the customer&#39;s  201  issue, the agent  209  may use a customer care client  208  which is arranged to access the customer care unit  207 . The agent  209  may provide an identity of the subscriber to the customer care unit  207  in order to retrieve information on past network events and/or subscribe to ongoing and future network events associated with the subscriber in action  2 : 5 . The customer care unit  207  is then adapted to provide a network event history and/or provide information regarding ongoing network events in real time to the agent  209  via the customer care client  208  in action  2 : 6 . Information on the network events and the subscription to ongoing network events may be requested in action  2 : 7 . In response to the request in action  2 : 7 , the data warehouse  206  may provide a network event history and/or to provide information regarding ongoing network events in action  2 : 8 . Information regarding the ongoing network events can be provided according to the previously described flow of actions  2 : 1 - 2 : 4 . 
     The agent  209  is thus enabled to continuously receive updates regarding the most recent network events associated with the terminal  202 . Thus, the agent  209 , may during the session with the customer  201 , monitor and resolve issues related to network events without polling or manually updating the customer care client  208  and the customer care unit  207 . Moreover, the agent  209  may be enabled to give immediate response and feedback to the customer when the terminal is creating network events. 
     The above procedure can be modified in different ways without departing from the invention. For example, one or several actions may be performed in a different order. According to another possible example, the terminal may be a terminal in a fixed network, such as an optical fiber network. 
     Features of this solution will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3  illustrating an example of a signaling diagram for providing the most recent network events to an customer care agent  302 . The agent  302  initiates a customer care session in action  3 : 1 . This typically involves to provide an identity of the subscriber to the customer care unit  303 . The customer care unit  303  will then in subsequent actions relate network events to the identity. The customer care unit  303  fetches, from a data warehouse  304 , a network event history in action  3 : 2 . The network history may be adapted such that only the most recent events are provided to the customer care unit. The customer care unit  303  requests to subscribe to information on future network events at the data warehouse in action  3 : 3 . The request of action  3 : 3  refers to the identity of the subscriber. 
     The data warehouse  304  subscribes the customer care unit  303  to information on network events which are associated with identified subscriber in action  3 : 4 . Thus, if information on a new network event, which is associated with the subscriber, is provided to the data warehouse it may be the basis for an update to the customer care unit  303  which will be further discussed below. 
     The data warehouse  304  provides the information requested, i.e. the network event history, in action  3 : 2  to the customer care unit  303  in action  3 : 5 . The customer care unit  303  may then provide the network history to the agent  302  in an action  3 : 6 . One or more semantic filters may be used at the customer care unit in order to only provide the most relevant network events to the agent  302 . 
     If the terminal  306 , which is associated with the customer  301 , communicates with a network element  305 , typically through the access network, in action  3 : 7 , a new network event may be created. The network event is then reported and information on the network event may be provided to the data warehouse in action  3 : 8 . The data warehouse recognizes that the network event refers to the subscriber which may trigger an update procedure at the data warehouse  304 . In action  3 : 9 , the data warehouse  304  provides an update notice, comprising information regarding the network event, to the customer care unit  303 . 
     In response to action  3 : 9 , the customer care unit  303  may form an update notice to the agent  302  indicating the network event in action  3 : 10 . According to one possible embodiment, the network event history is updated with the network event. In such embodiment, the network event may be indicated to be related to one or more of the network events of the network event history. 
     The agent  302  has access to the most relevant and the latest network events which are associated with the customer&#39;s  301  identity and thus also the terminal  306 . When the customer care session is no longer needed the agent typically deactivates the customer care session in action  3 : 11 . This may of course be done in an automatic manner or by one or several conditional triggers and/or timers. The customer care unit  303  may request to unsubscribe to the stream of information on ongoing network events in action  3 : 12 . The request may for instance refer to the identity of the subscriber. Other ways to keep register of the ongoing subscriptions are also possible. The data warehouse  304  unsubscribes the customer care unit to the ongoing and future network events which are associated with the terminal  306 . Thus, the data warehouse will now cease to provide updates regarding network events which are provided and reported as a result from communication between the network element  305  and the terminal  306 . 
     The above procedure can be modified in different ways without departing from the invention. For example, two or more actions may be performed in a different order or in one combined action. For instance, the action  3 : 3  of requesting for subscribing may be done prior to that a request of fetching the network event history is issued in action  3 : 2 . The solution may be implemented according to several different design principles. According to one possible example, the procedures, modules and arrangements in this description may be implemented using a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). 
     To enable SOA in the arrangements of  FIGS. 2-3 , an interoperable communication protocol is needed. The protocol may define the different functions and services of the procedures described in this description. The protocol may further to specify how passing and parsing of messages are done. Using such system design, having intersystem interoperability, enables the communication network operator to have several independent hardware and software platforms. This enables so-called loose coupling of the entities of the system where the data warehouse, the customer care unit and the network element are less dependent of the local implementation of each other. 
     One possible communication protocol type which may be used is a diameter based protocol. A diameter base protocol session comprises exchange of commands and AVPs. Some of the command values are used by the protocol itself while others may deliver data which is associated with different applications and services, such as the solution described in this description. 
     Diameter protocol sessions normally consist of exchanging commands and AVPs between an authorized client and a server. In this solution, the customer care unit may serve as a diameter client while the data warehouse may serve as a diameter server. The diameter base protocol typically provides the minimum requirements needed for an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) protocol, Mobile IPv4, or remote network access applications. 
     Therefore, a certain optional embodiment of the solution using diameter protocol is possible. With reference to  FIG. 4 , a signaling diagram using diameter based commands between a customer care unit  403 , a data warehouse  404  and a network element  405 , will now be described according to an example embodiment. It should be noted that this is merely an example. Other protocols and system designs may be used in enabling communication between the customer care unit, data warehouse and/or the network element. 
     In a first action  4 : 1  The customer care unit issues a Call &amp; Account Request (CAR) which comprises an identity (ID) of a subscriber. In this action, the CAR defines a request to fetch and subscribe the customer care unit to network events which are associated with the identity. 
     The data warehouse  404  is then subscribing, based on the identity provided in action  4 : 1 , the customer care unit to network events referring the subscriber in action  4 : 2 . As a response to the request of action  4 : 1 , the data warehouse issues a diameter command Call &amp; Account Answer (CAA) comprising the ID and data in action  4 : 3 . The data provided in action  3 : 4  may be the requested data, e.g. network event history or a representation thereof. A CAA is normally a corresponding answer to a CAR, according to the structure of the diameter protocol. Consequently, CAR and CAA may have the same command code according to a structure for indicating request-response messaging. 
     When the terminal, which is disclosed in  FIG. 3 , is communicating with the network element  405  causing a network event, the network element  405  sends a Account Request (ACR) indicating the ID is sent to the data warehouse  404  in action  4 : 4 . The data warehouse  404  responds by issuing an Account-Answer (ACA) to the network element. 
     The data warehouse  404  recognizes the new network event which is provided in action  4 : 4  and which is referring to the identity provided in action  4 : 1 . Thus, the data warehouse  404  issues a Call &amp; Account Information (CAI) command to the customer care unit  403  in action  4 : 6 , comprising the identity of the subscriber and data. The data may be related to the network event and/or a representation thereof. The customer care unit  403  acknowledges the CAI of action  4 : 6  by issuing a CAA in action  4 : 7 . Also CAI and CAA may have the same command code in conjunction with the structure for indicating request-response, or message and acknowledgement. 
     When the customer care session is finished, a CAR is issued to the data warehouse in action  4 : 8 . The CAR of action  4 : 8  indicates request for unsubscription and referring to the ID. In action  4 : 9 , as a response to receiving the request for unsubscription, the data warehouse disrupts to send CAI commands comprising data regarding network events related to the subscriber. The data warehouse sends a CAA in action  4 : 10  indicating that the subscription to network events referring to the ID has ended. 
     According to one possible embodiment, the embodiment of  FIG. 4  may be implemented with a diameter protocol according to the specification of Request For Comment (RFC) 3588. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 a   , a procedure for providing information regarding network events in an access network to a customer care unit will be disclosed, according to one example embodiment. 
     In a first action  501 , the customer care unit initiates a customer care session with a data warehouse. The session is referring to an identity of a subscriber. The customer care unit then requests a history which comprises network events associated with the subscriber in an optional action  502 . In action  503 , the customer care unit then requests to subscribe to network events which are associated with the subscriber at a data warehouse. The customer care unit thus causes the data warehouse to subscribe to a stream of ongoing network events. The content of the stream refers to the identity of the subscriber. 
     If a terminal of the subscriber communicates with a network element, a network event is created, provided and reported to the data warehouse. The customer care unit then receives, in action  504 , the information regarding the ongoing network event from the data warehouse. The updated information regarding the ongoing network event is provided to a customer care agent in action  505 . The above described procedure may enable the customer care agent to provide service based on the most recent information regarding the network events. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 b   , a procedure for providing information regarding network events from a data warehouse to a customer care unit, according to an example embodiment, will now be described. The procedure of  5   b  is a corresponding procedure to the procedure in  FIG. 5   a.    
     In a first and optional action  511 , the data warehouse receives a request, e.g. from a customer care unit, for fetching network event history referring to an identity of a subscriber. The data warehouse further receives a subscription request in action  512  from the customer care unit. The request comprises an identity referring to the subscriber. In action  513 , the data warehouse subscribes the customer care unit to a stream of ongoing network events. Consequently, the content of the stream also refers to the identity of the subscriber. The data center then recognizes new network events to be associated with a subscriber with an active subscription. Therefore, new network events which are triggered by one or more communications between a terminal associated with the subscriber and the network element is recognized to be provided as an update to the appropriate customer care unit in action  514 . The data warehouse provides, in action  515 , an update comprising information about the recognized network event to the customer care unit. 
     The procedures disclosed with reference to  FIG. 5 a - b    may be performed in the arrangement and system of  FIG. 2  or by implementing the actions of the signaling diagrams of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . The above two procedures of  FIGS. 5 a - b    can be modified in different ways without departing from the invention. For example, one or several actions may be performed in a different order, or in a combined action, but still reach the same technical effect. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , a customer care unit  600  adapted to perform the related actions of  FIG. 2-5   b , will now be described. The customer care unit  600  is adapted to provide information regarding network events which are associated with a subscriber in an access network. The customer care unit comprises an initiation unit  611  which is adapted to initiate a customer care session with a customer care agent  620  in action  6 : 1 . The initiation unit  611  may further be adapted to base the session on the identity of the subscriber. The initiation unit  611  is arranged in an agent communication unit  605  which is adapted to manage the communications with one or more agents. The agent communication unit  605  provides the identity to a fetching unit in action  6 : 2 . The fetching unit is adapted to fetch information on one or more network event from the data warehouse via a data warehouse communication unit  601 . Thus, the fetching unit  603  instructs the data warehouse communication unit  601  to issue a fetching request to the data warehouse in action  6 : 3 . 
     The agent communication unit  605  may further be adapted to provide the identity to a requesting unit  604 , in action  6 : 4 . The requesting unit  604  may then be adapted to instruct, in action  6 : 5 , the data warehouse communication unit  601  to send a subscription request to the data warehouse in action  6 : 6 . The requesting unit  604  may optionally also be adapted to instruct the data warehouse communication unit  601  to send a request to fetch the network event history from the data warehouse. 
     The data warehouse  610  may then be provided with the request comprising the identity of the subscriber. Thus, the data warehouse  610  may be enabled to send the requested network event history to the customer care unit, which is illustrated with the optional action  6 : 7 . The data warehouse  610  is further enabled to setup the subscription of incoming network events which is illustrated with action  6 : 8 . If a terminal associated with the subscriber causes a network event by one or more communications with the network element  630 , a new network event is created and provided to the data warehouse in action  6 : 9 . 
     The data warehouse communication unit  601  may comprise a receiving unit  613  which is adapted to receive the new an update regarding the network event from the data warehouse in action  6 : 10 . The receiving unit  613  may be adapted to provide information regarding the network event to the agent communication unit  605  in action  6 : 11 . The agent communication unit  605  comprises a providing unit  612  which is adapted to provide the information from action  6 : 11  to the agent, using the customer care session, in action  6 : 12 . 
     The customer care unit  600  may further comprise a processing unit  606  and a memory  607 . The processing unit  606  may be adapted to pass and process instructions between the units comprised the customer care unit  600 . According to a possible embodiment of the customer care unit  600 , the data warehouse communication unit  601  may be adapted to use a diameter protocol to form the communication with the data warehouse  610 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , data warehouse  700  adapted to perform the related actions of  FIG. 2 - FIG. 6 , will now be described. The data warehouse  700  is adapted to provide information regarding network events which are associated with a subscriber in an access network. The data warehouse  700  comprises a customer care communication unit  710  adapted to communicate with a customer care unit  730 . The customer care communication unit  710  comprises an initiating unit  711 , which may be adapted to initiate a customer care session with a customer care unit illustrated by action  7 : 1 . The session may refer to an identity of a subscriber which may be associated with the customer care unit  730 . The receiving unit  711  may further be adapted to receive a request to fetch a network history and to subscribe to network events which refer to information on the identity of the subscriber. 
     The receiving unit  711  may be adapted to instruct a network element communication unit  720  with the subscription request in action  7 : 2 . The request is provided to a subscription unit  721  which may be adapted to subscribe the customer care unit to a stream of ongoing network events. According to one possible embodiment, the subscriber unit  721  registers that the status for the subscriber associated with one or more terminals is set to subscribing mode from idle mode. The network element communication unit  720  further comprises a recognizing unit  722 . The recognizing unit  722  may be adapted to recognize ongoing network events which are associated with the identity of the subscriber. The ongoing network events are indicated by action  7 : 3 . 
     If a network event which is associated with the identity of the subscriber is recognized, then the recognizing unit  722  may further be adapted to provide information regarding a network event to a providing unit  712  in action  7 : 4 . The providing unit  712  may be adapted to provide information in action  7 : 5  regarding the network events to the customer care unit  730 . The information is based on the network events recognized by the recognizing unit  721  and the subscription provided by the subscription unit  722 . 
     The data warehouse  700  may further comprise a processing unit  706  and a memory  707 . The processing unit  706  is adapted to pass and process instructions between the units comprised the customer care unit  700 . According to one possible embodiment of the data warehouse  700 , the customer care communication unit  710  may be adapted to use a diameter protocol to form the communication with the customer care unit  730 . The network element communication unit  740  may also be adapted to use a diameter protocol to form the communication to, and reporting from, the network element  740 . Although the arrangement in  FIG. 7  only discloses one network element  740 , it should be understood that the data warehouse  700  may be in communication and receive network events from several network elements. 
       FIG. 8  schematically shows an embodiment of an arrangement  800  in a customer care unit or in a data warehouse, which also can be an alternative way of disclosing an embodiment of the arrangements for providing information regarding network events which are associated with a subscriber in an access network, which are illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Comprised in the arrangement  800  are here a processing unit  806 , e.g. with a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a calculation, determination and a deciding module. The processing unit  806  can be a single unit or a plurality of units to perform different actions of procedures described herein. The arrangement  800  may also comprise an input unit  802  for receiving signals and information from other entities, and an output unit  804  for providing signals and information to other entities. The input unit  802  and the output unit  804  may be arranged as an integrated entity. 
     Furthermore, the arrangement  800  comprises at least one computer program product  808  in the form of a non-volatile memory, e.g. an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory and a disk drive. The computer program product  808  comprises a computer program  810 , which comprises code means, which when run in the processing unit  806  in the arrangement  600 ,  700  causes the arrangement and/or the customer care unit and/or the data warehouse to perform the actions of the procedures described earlier in conjunction with  FIG. 2-5   b.    
     The computer program  810  may be configured as a computer program code structured in computer program modules. Hence in the example embodiments described, the code means in the computer program  810  of the arrangement  800  comprises a receiving module  810   a  for receiving and optionally storing and modifying request for session initiation. The computer program further comprises a requesting module  810   b  for requesting a subscription at the data warehouse referring to network events associated with the identity of a subscriber. The computer program  810  further comprises a receiving module  810   c  for receiving ongoing network events from the data warehouse. The computer program also comprises a providing module  810   d  for providing the information from the data warehouse regarding the network events to a customer care agent. The result may be provided using the output unit  804  to the customer care agent. 
     The modules  810   a - d  could essentially perform the actions of the flow illustrated in  FIG. 5 a   , to emulate the arrangement in a customer care unit of  FIG. 6 . In other words, when the different modules  810   a - d  are run on the processing unit  706 , they correspond to the units  601 - 605  of  FIG. 6 . 
     Similarly, a corresponding alternative to perform the actions of the flow illustrated in  FIG. 7  is possible. Thus, the arrangement of  FIG. 8  may correspondingly be adapted to perform the actions of the flow illustrated in action  5   b , and to emulate the arrangement in a data warehouse of  FIG. 7 . 
     Although the code means in the embodiment disclosed above in conjunction with  FIG. 8  are implemented as computer program modules which when run on the processing unit causes the arrangement and/or data warehouse and/or the customer care unit to perform the actions described above in the conjunction with figures mentioned above, at least one of the code means may in alternative embodiments be implemented at least partly as hardware circuits. 
     The processor may be a single CPU (Central processing unit), but could also comprise two or more processing units. For example, the processor may include general purpose microprocessors; instruction set processors and/or related chips sets and/or special purpose microprocessors such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor may also comprise board memory for caching purposes. The computer program may be carried by a computer program product connected to the processor. The computer program product comprises a computer readable medium on which the computer program is stored. For example, the computer program product may be a flash memory, a RAM (Random-access memory) ROM (Read-Only Memory) or an EEPROM, and the computer program modules described above could in alternative embodiments be distributed on different computer program products in the form of memories within the data receiving unit. 
     By using the solution presented above a customer care agent may serve a customer in a more satisfying manner. The customer care agent may continuously have access to the most recent information regarding the customer. A customer management of a telecommunication operator having this function is more likely to keep customers from leaving the operator, thus the churn rate may be decreased. 
     Another possible advantage with the solution described above is the ability to enable customer care agents to directly support and feedback to the customer. For example, the customer care agent may guide a customer through the process of making an on-line refill, using internet, by giving immediate feedback to the customer regarding the status of the transaction. Getting immediate feedback may lower the barriers for certain customers to use new ways to refill their prepaid services. This example is also applicable in using and subscribing to content services which is enabled and provided by the operator. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, the description is generally only intended to illustrate the inventive concept and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. For example, the terms “network events”, “customer care unit”, “data warehouse”, “subscribe”, “network element”, “access network” and “terminal”, have been used throughout this description, although any other corresponding functions, parameters, nodes and/or units could also be used having the functionalities and characteristics described here. The invention is defined by the appended claims. 
     Abbreviations 
     
         
         
           
             AAA—Authentication, Authorization and Accounting 
             ACA—Account-Answer 
             ACR—Account-Request 
             ASIC—Application Specific Integrated Circuit 
             AVP—Attribute Value Pair 
             BSS—Business Support System 
             CAA—Call &amp; Account Answer 
             CAI—Call &amp; Account Information 
             CAR—Call &amp; Account Request 
             CDR—Call Data Record 
             CPU—Central Processing Unit 
             DSP—Digital Signaling Processor 
             DW—Data Warehouse 
             EEPROM—Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory 
             IMSI—International Mobile Subscription Identity 
             IPTV—Internet Protocol TV 
             MSISDN—Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network 
             NAI—Network Access Identifier 
             OSS—Operating Support System 
             RAM—Random Access Memory 
             RFC—Request For Comment 
             RMS—Revenue Management System 
             ROM—Read Only Memory 
             SIP—Session Initiation Protocol 
             SOA—Service Oriented Architecture 
             URI—Uniform Resource Identifier