Open access in neutral host network environments

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

• obtaining, by a user equipment, a broadcast from an access radio of a neutral host network, wherein the user equipment is provisioned with an access profile that includes an indication that the user equipment can attach to a shared access network and the access profile includes a service attribute indicating a preference of the user equipment for selecting a non-subscription-based service provider for network connectivity;
• determining a participating service provider (PSP) list based on the broadcast, wherein the PSP list comprises an identifier for each of a plurality of service providers that provide network connectivity within the neutral host network and includes a service attribute indication for each of the plurality of service providers of the PSP list that indicates one of subscription-based network connectivity or non-subscription-based network connectivity that is provided by each service provider;
• identifying, based on the PSP list and the access profile provisioned for the user equipment, a preferred service provider to provide network services for the user equipment, wherein the identifying includes identifying that preferred service provider is a non-subscription-based service provider that is identified based on comparing the service attribute included in the access profile provisioned for the user equipment indicating the preference of the user equipment for selecting a non-subscription-based service provider for network connectivity to the service attribute indication for each service provider of the PSP list;
• and
• transmitting a network connectivity request to a mobility management node of the neutral host network to establish network connectivity between the user equipment and the preferred service provider.

A user equipment comprising:

• at least one memory element for storing data;
• and
• at least one processor for executing instructions associated with the data, wherein executing the instructions causes the user equipment to perform operations, comprising:
• obtaining a broadcast from an access radio of a neutral host network, wherein the user equipment is provisioned with an access profile that includes an indication that the user equipment can attach to a shared access network and the access profile includes a service attribute indicating a preference of the user equipment for selecting a non-subscription-based service provider for network connectivity;
• determining a participating service provider (PSP) list based on the broadcast, wherein the PSP list comprises an identifier for each of a plurality of service providers that provide network connectivity within the neutral host network and includes a service attribute indication for each of the plurality of service providers of the PSP list that indicates one of subscription-based network connectivity or non-subscription-based network connectivity that is provided by each service provider;
• identifying, based on the PSP list and the access profile provisioned for the user equipment, a preferred service provider to provide network services for the user equipment wherein the identifying includes identifying that the preferred service provider is a non-subscription-based service provider that is identified based, at least in part, on comparing the service attribute included in the access profile provisioned for the user equipment indicating the preference of the user equipment for selecting a non-subscription-based service provider for network connectivity to the service attribute indication for each service provider of the PSP list;
• and
• transmitting a network connectivity request to a mobility management node of the neutral host network to establish network connectivity between the user equipment and the preferred service provider.