Patent ID: 8521543

Claim:
A method of load-based billing for customers in a communication network, the method comprising: continuously monitoring utilization of the network by a plurality of network users in real-time via a switching center in the network; detecting at the switching center a reportable statistical event based upon the occurrence of a predetermined event trigger, wherein the predetermined event trigger comprises a trending threshold, which comprises the rate of change that a particular measurement exceeds a pre-determined threshold; informing a usage level application of the reportable statistical event; determining at the usage level application whether a Usage Level Event has occurred; recording at the usage level application the Usage Level Event, when it is determined that a Usage Level Event has occurred; reporting the Usage Level Event to a set of network elements via the usage level application and the switching center, when it is determined that a Usage Level Event has occurred, the set of network elements including a customer billing platform and a broadcast message application; and notifying a set of customers of a change in pricing for calls based upon the Usage Level Event through the broadcast message application and a messaging center, when it is determined that a Usage Level Event has occurred.