Patent ID: 8463231

Claim:
A method for accounting, for an Integrated Network Controller (INC), related to a user equipment (UE) accessing the Internet through a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) access network, the method comprising: receiving from the UE, at the INC, a request for access to a target Internet Service Provider (ISP), the INC associated with a UMTS access network and comprising a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a Serving GPRS Service Node (SGSN), and a RADIUS client that is operable for communicating with a RADIUS server over an internet protocol (IP) network, wherein the RADIUS client is within the UMTS access network and a RADIUS accounting function is associated with the RADIUS server; initiating UE access to the target ISP in response to receiving authentication at the RADIUS client from the RADIUS server via the IP network; and initiating tracking of access activity by the RADIUS server, wherein the access activity is stored in an accounting database associated with the RADIUS accounting function and a subscriber identification associated with the UE, and wherein the accounting database is updated at repeated intervals during a connection session between the user and the network until a disconnection occurs, and when a disconnection occurs receiving a final accounting message reporting a time and amount of data communicated during the session.