Patent ID: 7801517

Claim:
A method for implementing a roaming controlled wireless network and services, comprising: configuring a plurality of communities of wireless access networks, each community having a gateway device, wherein each gateway device within a community is assigned a first identical identifier and key pair, the first identical identifier and key pair defining the community as compared to others of the communities of wireless access networks; wherein the configuring further comprises assigning a second identical identifier and key pair to at least one of the gateways, the second identical identifier and key pair different from the first, the second identical identifier and key pair defining a second community in the wireless access networks; assigning multiple identifier and key pairs to a multi-mode network-enabled communications device, each of the multiple identifier and key pairs corresponding to a community; configuring a third community of wireless access networks by assigning a third identical identifier and key pair to a gateway device that is not within the first or second community, and assigning the third identical identifier and key pair, which third identical identifier and key pair is different than the first and second identical identifiers and key pairs, to one of the gateway devices that is part of at least one of the first and second communities; wherein the third identical identifier and key pair define the third community as overlapping the at least one of the first and second communities; configuring an auto-provisioning element on at least one of the communication device and the gateway devices; remotely provisioning activation of roaming controlled communications services for the end user of the communications device, without any required action by the end user, the remote provisioning including transmitting a signal to one of the communications device and the gateway device configured with the auto-provisioning element and which communications device and gateway device share an identical identifier and key pair, the signal causing the devices to exchange shared identical identifiers and key pairs via a wireless local network; and responsive to exchanging the identifiers and keys between the devices, permitting the communications device to communicate over the wireline network via the gateway device.