Method for subscribing to a wireless service

A method of configuring a subscriber unit for operation in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of, at the subscriber unit:

• obtaining information on available wireless services and corresponding service providers from an information source that advertises wireless services;
• selecting for subscription a set of wireless services from the available wireless services that meet a criteria which criteria includes compatibility with the subscriber unit;
• establishing a subscription relationship with at least one selected service providers corresponding to the set of wireless services selected;
• and
• configuring the subscriber unit to construct at least one operating mode that supports interaction with the at least one selected service provider using at least in part information received while establishing the subscription relationship.

A method of subscribing to wireless services, comprising the steps of:

• operating a subscriber unit to obtain information on available wireless services from an agent that provides information on available wireless services from a plurality of independent service providers;
• presenting the obtained information on the available wireless services on an output device associated with the subscriber unit;
• accepting a set of selected services via an input device associated with the subscriber unit;
• and
• establishing a subscription relationship with at least one service provider including the steps of:
• supplying to the agent a particular criteria related to at least one of the available wireless services;
• causing the agent to accept bids satisfying the particular criteria from among a plurality of competing service providers that provide at least one of the available wireless services.

A method of subscribing an electronic communication unit to a wireless services, comprising the steps of, at the communication unit:

• accepting a request for a particular wireless service from an input device associated with the communication unit;
• when the particular wireless service is not currently supported by the communication unit:
• automatically obtaining information on available wireless services and the corresponding service providers from an agent that advertises available wireless services;
• establishing a subscription relationship with one of the service providers that offers the particular wireless service, based on information obtained from the agent.