Abstract:
A portable wireless access point (My WAP) comprising: circuitry that supports wireless communication to and from the My WAP; a plurality of proxy-SIMs each configured to be assigned selectively any of a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIM) identities as an alias SIM identity; and a controller operable to assign an alias SIM identity to each proxy-SIM in the plurality of proxy-SIMs and control the proxy-SIM to use the alias SIM identity and the circuitry to establish a communication channel between a communication device connected to the My WAP and a cell-phone network.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application 61/656,525 filed on Jun. 7, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatus and methods of wireles sly connecting a communication terminal to a communication network. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A hotspot is a wireless access point (WAP) comprising communication equipment, such as a transceiver or router, which may be accessed by a communication device over a wireless communication channel to connect the communication device to a local area network (LAN) and, usually, via the LAN to the Internet . Typically the transceiver or router operates in accordance with a wireless protocol, conventionally and popularly referred to as WiFi protocol, that conforms to one of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards and is connected to the LAN by an Ethernet channel. “WiFi hotspots” are ubiquitous and have been established in coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, airports, and retail establishments to provide Internet connectivity to most of today&#39;s common mobile communication devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, and laptops. 
         [0004]    Initially WiFi hotspots were stationary, fixed place installments. In May 2009, a United States company, “Novatel Wireless” introduced a hand held portable hotspot marketed under the trade name MiFi™ that can provide Internet access for up to five communication devices. Many of today&#39;s mobile communication devices, such as 3G mobile phones, laptops and notebooks are configured so that they may relatively easily be programmed to function as mobile hot spots. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An aspect of an embodiment of the invention relates to providing a personal, portable hotspot, which may be accessed by at least one mobile communication device to provide the communication device with a plurality of simultaneous, independently controllable communication channels to at least one cell-phone network. 
         [0006]    For convenience of presentation a personal portable hotspot in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may be referred to as a personal, portable, wireless access point, a “MyWAP”. Any of the various communication devices that may connect to the MyWAP may in a given figure be generically represented by a particular communication device and be referred to by the particular communication device. For example, any of the communication devices may generically be shown and referred to as a cell-phone. 
         [0007]    In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a MyWAP comprises a different smart card for mediating each MyWAP communication channel to a cell-phone network that the MyWAP makes available to a communication device. Each smart card, hereinafter also referred to as a “proxy-SIM”, may be assigned an alias subscriber, or universal subscriber identity module (SIM or USIM) identity for use in accessing the cell-phone network. The alias identity may be borrowed selectively from any of a plurality of SIMs and/or USIMs, hereinafter generically referred to as SIMs, which may be made available by a “SIM server” comprising at least one SIM and generally a library of SIMs. 
         [0008]    An alias SIM identity in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a unique international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) that identifies the SIM from which the alias identity is borrowed, and use of an identity authentication key (KI) associated with the IMSI. A SIM KI, is typically a 128 bit number that is usually not accessible from the SIM. When a communication device comprising the SIM attempts to access a cell-phone network it first submits its IMSI to the cell-phone network and in response receives an identity authentication challenge from the network. The SIM uses the KI to generate a response to the identity authentication challenge and if the response is correct the cell-phone network connects the cell-phone to the network. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment of the invention, to assign an alias to a given proxy-SIM in a MyWAP, the MyWAP connects to a cell-phone network and transmits a request for an alias SIM identity to a SIM server via the cell-phone network. The request may include information that, optionally, comprises a location of the MyWAP and/or information relevant to establishing a MyWAP communication channel between the MyWAP and a called device. Information relevant to establishing the MyWAP channel may include a location of a cell-phone network base transceiver station (BTS) communicating with the MyWAP, and/or local time, and/or cell-phone networks and/or operators that are available to provide communication services to the MyWAP. 
         [0010]    Upon receipt of the request, the SIM server determines if it has a SIM identity that may provide an alias SIM identity for the given proxy-SIM responsive to the information that provides advantageous pricing for services to be accessed by the MyWAP. If it has such a SIM identity, and it is available for lending to the MyWAP for use as an alias SIM identity, the SIM server transmits the SIM identity to the MyWAP. A controller in the MyWAP makes the SIM identity available as an alias to the given proxy-SIM to facilitate establishing a MyWAP channel between the proxy-SIM and the cell-phone network. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment of the invention, the MyWAP comprises a multiplexing (MUX) and demultiplexing (DEMUX) module which may be implemented by suitable software and/or circuitry, hereinafter also referred to simply as a “MUX-DEMUX”. The MUX-DEMUX may parse transmissions from the at least one mobile communication device into segments and convey different segments transmission to the cell-phone network over different MyWAP communication channels provided by the MyWAP. The MUX-DEMUX, may multiplex segments it receives over the MyWAP channels for transmission to the at least one communication device. Optionally, the MyWAP comprises an encryption and decryption module, which may be implemented by suitable software and/or circuitry and uses the module to encrypt and/or decrypt data it transmits and/or receives over the MyWAP channels. 
         [0012]    It is noted that “multiplex” or “MUX” may refer to conventional multiplexing in which portions of different messages are combined for transmission over a single communication channel, and/or to assembling a message from portions (segments) of the message that might have been transmitted from a source to a destination optionally via different communication channels. Similarly “demultiplexing” or “DEMUX” may refer to conventional demultiplexing, in which portions of different messages received in a same transmission over a same communication channel are separated for forwarding to different destinations, and/or to segmenting a message into portions (segments) for transmission optionally via different communication channels. 
         [0013]    There is therefore provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention a portable wireless access point (MyWAP) comprising: circuitry that supports wireless communication to and from the MyWAP; a plurality of proxy-SIMs each configured to be assigned selectively any of a plurality of subscriber identity module (SIM) identities as an alias SIM identity; and a controller operable to assign an alias SIM identity to each proxy-SIM in the plurality of proxy-SIMs and control the circuitry and the proxy-SIM to use the alias SIM identity to establish a communication channel between a communication device connected to the MyWAP and a cell-phone network. Optionally, the circuitry that supports wireless communication comprises dedicated circuitry for each proxy-SIM that supports wireless communications to and from the proxy-SIM. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment of the invention, the controller is configured to transmit a request for a SIM identity for use as an alias SIM identity for assignment to a proxy-SIM of the plurality of proxy-SIMs from a SIM server comprising at least one SIM card having a SIM identity. Optionally, the request is transmitted to the SIM server via a cell-phone network. 
         [0015]    In an embodiment of the invention, the request comprises information that characterizes a connection to be made by the communication device via the communication channel established by the proxy-SIM to another communication device accessible via the cell-phone network. Optionally, the information comprises at least one of, or any combination of, a location of a cell-phone network base station, local time at a location of the MyWAP, and/or identity of a cell-phone network and/or cell-phone network operator available to provide communication services to the MyWAP. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment of the invention, the MyWAP comprises an encryption module operable to encrypt and decrypt communications that the MyWAP receives from, or transmits to the communication device or receives or transmits via a communication channel established using a proxy-SIM. 
         [0017]    In an embodiment of the invention, the controller is configured to control the plurality of proxy-SIMs to establish and simultaneously maintain a plurality of communication channels, any two of which connect the communication device to a same cell-phone network or to different cell-phone networks. Optionally the MyWAP comprises a multiplexer operable to multiplex data received or transmitted by the MyWAP via the plurality of communication channels. Optionally the MyWAP comprises a demultiplexer operable to demultiplex communications received by the MyWAP to generate a communication for transmission to the communication device or via a communication channel established using a proxy-SIM of the plurality of proxy-SIMs. 
         [0018]    In an embodiment of the invention, the controller controls the demultiplexer to parse information received from the communication device into segments, and routes different segments to different communication channels of the plurality of communication channels for transmission from the MyWAP. Optionally the controller controls the encryption module to encrypt the segments. 
         [0019]    There is further provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention communication system comprising: a MyWAP according to an embodiment of the invention; and a communication server connected to the Internet; wherein the controller controls the proxy-SIMs to establish a plurality of communication channels for communication with the communication server and the communication server transmits data to the MyWAP substantially simultaneously via each of the plurality of communication channels. 
         [0020]    There is further provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention a method of communicating via a cell-phone network the method comprising: providing a first communication device with wireless communication access to at least one proxy-SIM; assigning an alias SIM identity to the at least one proxy-SIM; controlling the at least one proxy-SIM to establish a communication channel to a cell-phone network; and connecting the first communication device to a second communication device that is accessible by the cell-phone network via the communication channel 
         [0021]    Assigning an alias SIM identity optionally comprises accessing a SIM server having at least one SIM card and requesting a SIM identity from the SIM service for use as the alias SIM identity. Optionally, the at least one proxy-SIM comprises at least two proxy-SIMs, assigning a SIM identity to each of the at least two proxy-SIMs, and controlling each of the at least two proxy-SIMs to establish a communication channel to a same or a different cell-phone network. The method may comprise segmenting communications from the first device into segments and transmitting different segments to the second communication device via different communication channels of the communication channels established by the at least two proxy-SIMs. The method optionally comprises encrypting segments of the segments transmitted via different communication channels. 
         [0022]    In the discussion, unless otherwise stated, adjectives such as “substantially” and “about” modifying a condition or relationship characteristic of a feature or features of an embodiment of the invention, are understood to mean that the condition or characteristic is defined to within tolerances that are acceptable for operation of the embodiment for an application for which it is intended. Unless otherwise indicated, the word “or” in the description and claims is considered to be the inclusive “or” rather than the exclusive or, and indicates at least one of, or any combination of items it conjoins. 
         [0023]    This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
         [0024]    Non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to figures attached hereto that are listed following this paragraph. Identical features that appear in more than one figure are generally labeled with a same label in all the figures in which they appear. A label labeling an icon representing a given feature of an embodiment of the invention in a figure may be used to reference the given feature. Dimensions of features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience and clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. 
           [0025]      FIG. 1A  schematically shows a MyWAP connected by a wireless channel to a cell-phone and operating to assign an alias SIM identity to a proxy-SIM and establish a MyWAP communication channel between the proxy-SIM and a mobile cell-phone network, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 1B  schematically shows the MyWAP shown in  FIG. 1A  after receiving an alias SIM identity from a SIM server and assigning the alias to a proxy-SIM in the MyWAP in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 1C  schematically shows the MyWAP shown in  FIG. 1B  after the proxy-SIM has used the alias SIM identity to establish a MyWAP communication channel to the mobile cell-phone network, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  schematically shows the MyWAP shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C  after having established a plurality of MyWAP channels to the mobile cell-phone network, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  schematically shows the MyWAP shown in  FIG. 2  communication with a communication server to simultaneously receive segmented data via a plurality of MyWAP communication channels in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    In the following detailed description, a MyWAP in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and its operation in establishing a plurality of communication channels to a mobile cell-phone network by associating proxy-SIMs with alias SIM identities is described with reference to  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  FIG. 2 . A MyWAP may operate in accordance with an embodiment of the invention to transmit and receive data via a communications server that segments and encodes data in transmissions that it receives. By way of example,  FIG. 3  schematically shows the MyWAP in the preceding figures receiving data from the Internet after the data has been segmented by a communications server and transmitted to the MyWAP over a plurality of MyWAP channels. Features of the MyWAP operating in conjunction with the communications server are discussed with reference to  FIG. 3 . In the detailed description, reference labels used to label icons representing features of embodiments of the invention may also be used to reference the features. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1A  schematically shows a MyWAP  20  optionally comprising a plurality of five proxy-SIMs, which may be in the format of SIM cards, labeled  21 ,  22 , . . .  25 , and a controller  30 , in accordance with embodiment of the invention. Whereas MyWAP  20  is shown comprising five proxy-SIMs, practice of the invention is not limited to five proxy-SIMs and a MyWAP in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may have more or less than five proxy-SIMs. Optionally, each proxy-SIM  21 , . . . ,  25  is coupled to its own circuitry comprising an RF front end, transceiver, and/or other components, schematically represented by an antenna icon  27  and referred to as antenna  27 , for supporting wireless communications to and from the proxy-SIM. In an embodiment of the invention, MyWAP  20  comprises at least one “independent” SIM and/or proxy-SIM having its own IMSI and KI to enable the MyWAP to establish a communication channel with a cell-phone network. By way of example, proxy-SIM  21  is assumed to be independent and comprises its own IMSI and KI. Controller  30  optionally comprises MUX-DEMUX module  32 , also referred to as MUX-DEMUX  32  and an encryption module  33 , for encrypting and decrypting communications that MyWAP  20  receives or transmits. Features of the operation of controller  30 , MUX-DEMUX  32  and encryption module  33  are discussed below. It is noted that whereas MUX-DEMUX  32  and encryption module  33  are shown comprised in controller  30 , the MUX-DEMUX and encryption module may be comprised in MyWAP  20  as modules separated from the controller. Optionally, controller  30  comprises its own RF front end, transceiver, and/or other components, schematically represented by an antenna icon  31  and referred to as antenna  31 , for supporting wireless communications to and from the controller. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 1A , a communication device, generically represented by a cell-phone  40 , has contacted MyWAP  20  to request access to a cell-phone network, schematically represented by a communications tower  100 , in order to establish communications with the Internet and/or other cell-phones (not shown in  FIG. 1A ). Cell-phone  40  may contact MyWAP  20  via a wireless or wire communication channel. In the scenario of  FIG. 1  cell-phone  40  has contacted MyWAP  20  by a wireless channel schematically represented by a dotted “lightning” line  400 . Wireless channel  400  may be established between cell-phone  40  and any of proxy-SIMs  21 , . . . ,  25 , and/or circuitry (not shown), optionally included in controller  30 , that is independent of the proxy-SIMs. By way of example, in  FIG. 1A  and figures that follow, wireless channel  400  is assumed established between cell-phone  40  and controller  30 . 
         [0033]    In response to receiving the request for access to a cell-phone network, controller  30  initiates a procedure to have proxy-SIM  21  connect to cell-phone network  100  and connect thereby MyWAP  20  to the cell-phone network. Proxy-SIM  21  uses its own IMSI and KI to open a communication channel, schematically represented by a double arrow head block arrow  210 , to cell-phone network  100 . Upon establishing communication channel  210 , controller  30  optionally controls proxy-SIM  21  to acquire an alias SIM identity for use by one of proxy-SIMs  21 , . . .  25 , in establishing a communication channel to a cell-phone network, optionally cell-phone network  100 . 
         [0034]    In an embodiment, proxy-SIM  21  uses its established online channel to open a data link represented by dashed double arrowhead lines  211  to a SIM server  50  and place a request with the SIM server for an alias SIM identity. The request may comprise information as to where MyWAP  20  is located and/or a location of a network BTS communicating with MyWAP  20 , and/or local time, and/or cell-phone networks and/or operators that are available to service MyWAP  20 . 
         [0035]    SIM server  50  optionally comprises a library  52  of SIMs, optionally in the format of SIM cards  54 , and a processor  56 . Processor  56  is able to select and communicate with any given SIM card of the plurality of SIM cards  54  to retrieve its IMSI, present it with an authentication challenge, and receive a response that the SIM card generates responsive to the authentication challenge. Switches  58  schematically represent the ability of processor  56  to select and communicate with any of SIM cards  54  comprised in library  52 . When a switch  58  associated with a given SIM card  54  is closed, it graphically indicates the processor is in communication with the SIM card. Optionally, SIM server  50  is configured to communicate via cell-phone network  100  and comprises a dedicated SIM card (not shown), and/or selects a SIM card  54 , for communication via the cell-phone network. 
         [0036]    In response to receiving the request from proxy-SIM  21  for an alias SIM identity, processor  56  in SIM server  50  may respond by selecting a SIM card  54 , arbitrarily distinguished by the label  54 / 5  and shown shaded in  FIG. 1B , to provide an IMSI and associated KI for use by MyWAP  20  as an alias. After selecting SIM card  54 / 5  for providing the alias SIM identity, SIM server  50  transmits the IMSI of SIM card  54 / 5  to proxy-SIM  21  over data link  211 . Proxy-SIM  21  transmits the received IMSI to controller  30 , which optionally assigns the IMSI as an alias to proxy-SIM  25 . In  FIG. 1B  proxy-SIM  25  is shaded similarly to SIM-card  54 / 5  to indicate that controller  30  has assigned the IMSI belonging to SIM card  54 / 5  to proxy-SIM  25 . 
         [0037]    Controller  30  uses proxy-SIM  25  to access cell-phone network  100  to present the network with its alias IMSI over a communication link represented by double arrowhead dotted lines  101 . In response, cell-phone network  100  presents an authentication challenge to proxy-SIM  25 , which in turn forwards the authentication challenge to controller  30 . Controller  30  controls proxy-SIM  21  to transmit the authentication challenge to SIM-server  50  over data link  211 . 
         [0038]    Upon receiving the authentication challenge, processor  56  in the SIM server accesses SIM card  54 / 5  to provide an appropriate response to the authentication challenge using the SIM card&#39;s KI. The processor transmits the authentication challenge response provided by SIM card  54 / 5  to proxy-SIM  21  over data link  211 . Proxy-SIM  21  forwards the response to controller  30 , which provides the response to proxy-SIM  25  for submission to cell-phone network  100  over link  101 . Upon receipt of the authentication response, cell-phone network  100  provides proxy-SIM  25  with a communication channel represented in  FIG. 1C  by a double arrowhead block arrow  250  for use in communicating via the network. Controller  30  may control proxy-SIM  25  to use communication channel  250  to cell-phone network  100  to make a connection to any of various communication devices that may be accessed via cell-phone network  100 , such as a cell-phone  42  or a data server  1000  in the Internet. 
         [0039]    In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, controller  30  operates to acquire alias SIM identities and communication channels to cell-phone network  100  for at least one additional proxy-SIM of the plurality of proxy-SIMs  21 - 24  similarly to the manner in which the controller operated to acquire a SIM identity and a communication channel for proxy-SIM  25 . However, it should be noted that controller  30  does not have to revert to use of proxy-SIM  21  to acquire an alias SIM identity for the at least one additional proxy SIM. Any proxy-SIM  21 - 25  already connected to network  100  may be used to contact SIM server  50  via network  100  and acquire an alias IMSI and associated KI for another proxy-SIM that either does not have an alias SIM identity, or has an alias identity that is to be changed. For example, after channel  250  between proxy-SIM  25  and network  100  is established proxy-SIM  25  may be used to request an alias SIM identity for proxy-SIM  21 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 2  schematically shows MyWAP  20  after controller  30  has acquired an alias SIM identity from SIM server  50  for each of proxy-SIMs  22 - 24  from SIM cards  54  in library  52  distinguished by labels  54 / 2 ,  54 / 3 , and  54 / 4  and the aliases and proxy-SIMs have been controlled to establish communication channels  220 ,  230 ,  240  to cell-phone network  100 . In  FIG. 2  each proxy-SIM  22 - 24  and its corresponding SIM card  54 / 2 ,  54 / 3 , and  54 / 4  respectively from which it has received an alias SIM identity are shaded with a same distinctive shading different from the shading of other proxy-SIMS and their respective corresponding SIM cards. 
         [0041]    It is noted that whereas in the above description an alias SIM identity was not acquired and assigned for proxy-SIM  21 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention an alias may be assigned also to proxy-SIM  21 . It is also noted that whereas all proxy-SIMs  22 - 25  were assigned communication channels to a same cell-phone network  100 , MyWAP is not constrained to establish communication channels with only one cell-phone network. Controller  30  may request an alias SIM identity for at least one of proxy SIMs  21 , . . . ,  25  that specifies a cell-phone network different from that for which aliases were requested for the other of the proxy-SIMs. 
         [0042]    For example, controller  30  may determine that cell-phone network  100  is relatively congested, or that as the person using cell-phone  40  and MyWAP  20  roams about, that signal strength from cell-phone network is erratic. To maintain quality of service, controller  30  may decide to assign at least one of its proxy-SIMs an alias SIM identity advantageous for access to a cell-phone network or network provider different from cell-phone network  100  and/or the network provider of cell-phone network  100 . 
         [0043]    It is noted that a MyWAP in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is not limited to acquiring alias identities from any particular SIM server, and a SIM server is not required to be comprised in a single computer but may be based on a distributed computer system in which different computers comprise different components of the SIM server. The SIM server may for example be a cloud based SIM server with different functionalities of the SIM server distributed over the Internet. Additionally or alternatively MyWAP  20  may comprise its own library of SIM IDs for assignment to different proxy-SIMs in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         [0044]    After establishment of communication channels  220 ,  230 , . . .  250 , MyWAP  20  may use any of the communication channels for connecting cell-phone  40  to communication devices such as a laptop  500  or server  1000 , that are accessible via cell-phone network  100 , either via the Internet or exclusively via cell-phone network  100  and/or cell-phone networks connected to network  100 . The MyWAP may also selectively use different communication channels of communication channels  210 ,  220 , . . .  250  to substantially simultaneously connect the person using cell-phone  40  to different communication devices. 
         [0045]    For example, controller  30  in MyWAP  20  may use communication channel  230  to establish a data line schematically indicated by dotted, double arrowhead, lines  231 , optionally via the Internet , between cell-phone  40  and laptop  500  so that the person using cell-phone  40  can hold a video call with a person using the laptop. MyWAP  20  may establish a data link, represented by dashed double arrowhead lines  251  between the MyWAP and server  1000  in the Internet using communication channel  250 , so that simultaneous with the conversation, the MyWAP may download files for the person using cell-phone  40  from the server. In an embodiment, MyWAP  20  comprises a memory (not shown) and controller  30  stores data downloaded from server  1000  in the memory and transmits the downloaded data optionally via antenna  31  of proxy-SIM  21  to cell-phone  40  over wireless channel  400 . 
         [0046]    In an embodiment of the invention controller  30  controls MUX-DEMUX module  32  to segment communications received from cell-phone  40  over wireless channel  400  and transmit different segments over different communication channels  210 ,  220 , . . . ,  250 , to a destination communication device configured to multiplex segmented communications from MyWAP  20 . Optionally, controller  30  encrypts the communications it transmits over communication channels  210 ,  220 , . . . ,  250 . The segmented and encrypted transmissions make it relatively difficult for someone to intercept and eavesdrop on the transmissions. 
         [0047]    In an embodiment of the invention, MyWAP  20  may have access to a communication server to support communications from and to cell-phone  40 . The communication server may be configured to interface MyWAP  20  with various communication devices and perform communication management tasks that improve quality of service or enable functionalities additional to those provided by MyWAP  20 . A communication server may for example function as an intermediate node for segmenting and/or encoding communication transmission from and to MyWAP  20 . 
         [0048]    By way of illustrative example,  FIG. 3  schematically shows a laptop  500  that a user has connected to MyWAP  20  via a wireless channel  400  to request to download a relatively large data file, comprising for example, graphics, audio/visual (A/V) information, and/or data, from data server  1000  in the Internet. Responsive to the request for the file, MyWAP  20  used communication channel  220  to establish a data link, represented by dashed double arrowhead lines  221  to a communication server  600  and submit the request for the desired material to the communication server. With the request, MyWAP  20  has made available to communication server  600  communication channels  220 , . . . ,  250  for receiving the requested data at the MyWAP. 
         [0049]    Communication server  600  maintains a fast communication channel, represented by a double arrowhead block arrow  610 , to the Internet and has used the fast channel to forward the request from MyWAP  20  to data server  1000  and to establish a data link, represented by dashed double arrowhead line  611 , to the data server for receiving the desired data file. In response, data server  1000  transmits the desired file to communication server  600 . 
         [0050]    Upon receipt of the data from the data server, to provide relatively rapid conveyance of the desired data file to MyWAP  20 , communication server  600  establishes a plurality of data communication links with MyWAP  20  using communication channels  220 ,  230 ,  240  and  250 , made available by the MyWAP. By way of example, it is assumed that communication server  600  has established four data communication links to MyWAP  20 , one data communication link to each proxy SIMs  22 , . . . ,  25  using the proxy-SIMs respective communication channels  220 , . . . ,  250 . 
         [0051]    To transmit the data over the four data communication links communication server  600  segments the data received from data server  1000  and simultaneously transmits different segments of the data to MyWAP  20  via different data communication links established between the communication server and proxy-SIMs  22 , . . . ,  25 . The simultaneous transmission of segments of the desired file to MyWAP  20  over the four data communication links are schematically represented by four arrows  602  bundled by a dashed loop  604 . 
         [0052]    Upon receipt of data segments from communication server  600 , each proxy-SIM  22 , . . . ,  25  forwards the segments it receives to controller  30 . The controller multiplexes the segments in proper sequence and transmits the multiplexed segments to laptop  500  via antenna  31 . 
         [0053]    Whereas in the above description server  600  segments, “demultiplexes”, the file data it receives from data server  1000  and controller  30  multiplexes the data, server  600  may transmit the data by dividing the file it receives from data server  1000  into portions and optionally substantially concurrently transmitting different portions of the file over different data links to MyWAP  20 . Server  600  labels each portion of the file it transmits to MyWAP  20  by byte offsets of a beginning and an ending of the portion. Optionally, MyWAP  20  concatenates the portions in accordance with their byte offsets to reassemble the file transmitted by data server  1000  to server  600 , and transmits the concatenated data to laptop  500 . Optionally, MyWAP does not concatenate the portions and transmits the portions in random or otherwise in non-sequential order and laptop  500  concatenates the portions to assemble the data it receives into a complete coherent file. 
         [0054]    It is noted that in the above description MyWAP  20  is shown connecting a single communication device to cell-phone network  100 . However, MyWAP  20  may simultaneously connect a plurality of communication devices, optionally of different types, to cell-phone network  100 . For example, MyWAP  20  may concurrently connect two cell-phones, a laptop and three notebooks to network  100 . 
         [0055]    In the description and claims of the present application, each of the verbs, “comprise”, “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, are used to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are not necessarily a complete listing of components, elements, or parts of the subject or subjects of the verb. 
         [0056]    Descriptions of embodiments of the invention in the present application are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The described embodiments comprise different features, not all of which are required in all embodiments of the invention. Some embodiments utilize only some of the features or possible combinations of the features. Variations of embodiments of the invention that are described, and embodiments of the invention comprising different combinations of features noted in the described embodiments, will occur to persons of the art. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims.