Patent ID: 7321656

Claim:
A telecommunications billing system comprising: at least one server configured to interpret at least two file types, a first file type of the at least two file types including subscription data associated with a subscription, the subscription data identifying a pricing plan, the pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection with at least a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service, a second file type of the at least two file types including a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service; a customer database configured to store customer information associated with the subscription, the customer information including the subscription data identifying the pricing plan; a usage database configured to store the first set of telecommunications service usage data and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service; and a billing module configured to access the usage database and configured to access the customer database, the billing module configured to generate billing data utilizing the allotment of shared telecommunications units, the first set of telecommunications service usage data, and the second set of telecommunications service usage data; wherein the first telecommunications service and the second telecommunications service are provided by different operating entities; and wherein the billing module calculates excess charges when cumulative usage of the first set of telecommunications service usage data and usage of the second set of telecommunications service usage data exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units.