Methods and Apparatus for Allocating Service Costs in a Telecommunications Network

A node for use in a telecommunications network and comprising:

• a service session handler for establishing and controlling service sessions on behalf of end users served by the telecommunications network;
• a charging determination point for determining cost apportionment data for service sessions involving registered users as terminating users;
• and
• a signalling message handler for generating, in respect of a given service session between an originating and a terminating user, a signalling message containing said cost apportionment data, the signalling message handler being configured to send the signalling message towards a charging generating point in an peer network serving the originating user.

A method of handling costs associated with a service session established and controlled by a telecommunications network, where a session originating user is served by the telecommunications network and a session terminating user is served by a terminating network, the method comprising:

• either during session establishment or during the session, receiving within the telecommunications network a signalling message containing cost apportionment data;
• routing the received signalling message to a node responsible for the service and implementing a charging generation function;
• and
• at the node, applying the cost apportionment data to the generation of charging data so that the charging data reflects a required cost apportionment, and sending the charging data to a network charging system.