Systems and Methods for Signal Brokering in Distributed Evolved Packet Core (EPC) Network Architectures

A server comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
• receive an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) protocol request from an application server, the AAA protocol request specifying an internet protocol (IP) address as a destination address of the AAA protocol request, wherein the server hosts a brokering agent in a central evolved packet core (EPC) network, and wherein the IP address is assigned to a user equipment (UE);
• search an address registry in accordance with the IP address to determine that the IP address is associated with a first one of a plurality of distributed EPC networks;
• and
• forward the AAA protocol request to a distributed policy and charging rules function (PCRF) entity in the first distributed EPC network.

A server comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
• receive an update location request/update location answer (ULR/ULA) message from a mobility management entity (MME) in a distributed EPC network, wherein the server hosts a brokering agent in a central evolved packet core (EPC) network, and wherein the ULR/ULA message specifies an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a user equipment (UE);
• and
• send an authentication or authorization profile associated with IMSI to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) entity in the distributed EPC network in response to receiving the ULR/ULA message from the MME, the authentication or authorization profile being sent to the PCRF entity.