Objective
The Free-G project is aimed at stimulating 2.5-3G mobile data traffic by implementing advanced mobile data billing technologies on pan-European level. The project will implement mi800 - a billing solution that brings the principle of the successful wire-line free-phone 0800 to the realm of 2.5-3G mobile-Internet: business enterprises offer their customers subsidized air-access to their mobile web sites. Unlike 0800, mi800 requires sophisticated data billing technologies implemented at the infrastructures of the operator and enterprise offering the service. The fact that these parties are scattered across Europe, creates major interoperability, inter-working and roaming issues between different networks and service platforms. The Free-G project will demonstrate coherent and harmonized data billing for consumer appealing services. The results will be exploited for implementing a whole range of usage and content-based data billing solutions. The Free-G project is aimed at stimulating 2.5-3G mobile data traffic by implementing advanced mobile data billing technologies on pan-European level.
The project will implement mi800 - a billing solution that brings the principle of the successful wire-line free-phone 0800 to the realm of 2.5-3G mobile-Internet: business enterprises offer their customers subsidized air-access to their mobile web sites. Unlike 0800, mi800 requires sophisticated data billing technologies implemented at the infrastructures of the operator and enterprise offering the service. The fact that these parties are scattered across Europe, creates major interoperability, inter-working and roaming issues between different networks and service platforms. The Free-G project will demonstrate coherent and harmonized data billing for consumer appealing services. The results will be exploited for implementing a whole range of usage and content-based data billing solutions.
OBJECTIVES
The project objective is to implement mobile data billing technologies while addressing related pan-European interoperability issues and demonstrating:
- seamless integration of the data billing technologies with different operators' environments comprising billing and pre-paid systems, 2.5-3G infrastructures and mobile-Internet gateways;
- seamless integration of the data billing technologies with different business enterprise/content provider's mobile web sites;
- interoperability of the data billing technologies in a pan-European "many-to-many" environment, i.e. many mi800 web site accessed via many networks;
- interoperability of the data billing technologies in a pan-European roaming environment, i.e. a roaming subscriber visits home or foreign mi800 web sites;
- the mi800 business model, i.e. end-users spend more time in mi800 web sites; mi800 stimulates the overall 2.5-3G mobile data traffic.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Overall, the project will conduct interrelated trials and business validations of 2.5G "0800"-type mobile data billing, carried out in 4 European countries- Norway, Greece, Israel, and the UK. It consists of 4 phases. A site survey will be carried out for studying the mobile operators' and business enterprises' technological environments and identifying the necessary infrastructure adaptations, customizations and integration requirements. The second phase will consist of the actual adaptation and customization work. IT billing/pre-paid systems, their 2.5-3G infrastructures and mobile-Internet gateways and the mobile web sites technological platforms. The third phase will consist of the actual validation tests. End-users in those regions will enjoy subsidized air-access during the trial. An on-screen icon will indicate to them that they are not charged. The entire mi800 service cycle will be simulated and tested including scenarios demonstrating the technology interoperability and roaming between different operators, web sites and countries. The last phase will include research work aimed at validating the mi800 business concept. Test results will be analyzed and end-user patterns at the tested web sites before and after implementing mi800 will be compared. This phase will also include developing exploitation and dissemination strategies for the test results on a pan-European level.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
BUR - Bursaries, grants, fellowshipsCoordinator
NW1 3HG LONDON
United Kingdom