Patent ID: 8717945

Claim:
A method for application-specific chargeback of content cached at a wireless tower of a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: receiving a request for content from an end user device in a base station of a RAN; routing the request for the content to an application in a packet switched data communications network from the base station by way of a core network (CN) disposed between the RAN and the data communications network; receiving in the base station, within a response to the request, content from the application; caching the response in a local cache of the base station in connection with the application and forwarding the response to the end user device; and, responsive to a subsequent request for the content received in the base station of the RAN, serving the content in a response from the local cache of the base station and transmitting an identity of the application to a remote charging service external to the base station but within the RAN for charging the application in consequence of serving the content from the local cache of the base station.