Patent ID: 8908664

Claim:
In a system having multiple wireless handheld devices wherein the handheld devices communicate with at least one server computer via an internet protocol (IP)-based wireless local area network (WLAN), a method associated with the providing of services to groups of subscribers, the method comprising: defining multiple service zones, wherein each service zone includes one or more access points for one or more IP-based WLANs; storing the defined multiple service zones; assigning at least one service type for each of the multiple service zones, wherein some of the service types for some service zones differ from service types for other service zones, wherein the service types include billing rates, and wherein at least one of the service types includes a free mobile phone service for at least some handheld devices within at least one of the service zones; storing the service types assigned to each of the multiple service zones; determining that one of the multiple handheld devices is operating within one of the multiple service zones, wherein the one handheld device is configured to communicate over the IP-based WLANs or over a cellular phone network under a wireless protocol; and, providing to the one handheld device at least one of the service types for the one service zone in which the one handheld device is operating.