Patent ID: 7133393

Claim:
A method of implementing a prepaid service in a packet-switched mobile communication network in which information, requested in a data service activation request from a mobile station connected to the network, is delivered to the mobile station so long as a prepaid service balance associated with the mobile station remains at a sufficient level, comprising the steps of: defining an access point name definition that points to a gateway GPRS support node through which the prepaid service is useable by the mobile station, the access point name definition being contained in the data service activation request from the mobile station; monitoring, by a control server for so long as the data service remains active, traffic between the mobile station and a content server for the prepaid service after the data service activation request containing the access point name definition has been sent by the mobile station; and updating, in a billing database, the prepaid service balance level based on said traffic monitoring by the control server.