Patent ID: 7929489

Claim:
A method for discovering a network service provider, used in a wireless communication network which comprises a network access provider, a user side device and a network service provider, comprising: receiving, by the user side device, information that identifies a network access provider sharing mode via a downlink message issued by a network side, wherein the information comprises one of a logic field of a network access provider identifier (NAP_ID) and a message element that identifies the network access provider sharing mode; obtaining, by the user side device, one of the logic field of the NAP_ID and the message element in the downlink message; determining, by the user side device, the network access provider sharing mode utilized by the network access provider according to one of the logic field of the NAP ID and the message element; and discovering, by the user side device, the network service provider in a manner corresponding to the network access provider sharing mode, when the user side device accesses the network.