Method and apparatus for connecting a mobile device to a pay-for-usage communication network

A mobile device comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a microprocessor, and a memory and configured to:

• receive, using the wireless receiver, engagement terms associated with one or more available networks in a vicinity of the mobile device;
• transmit, using the wireless transmitter, a request for configuration details associated with a selected network of the available networks;
• receive, using the wireless receiver, configuration details transmitted in response to the request, the configuration details for use in configuring the mobile device for connecting/attaching the mobile device to the selected network;
• and
• initiate a registration and connection operation, using the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver, for the selected network based on the configuration details.

A method for supporting connection/attachment of mobile devices to a network, the method comprising:

• wirelessly transmitting engagement terms for reception by mobile devices, the engagement terms associated with one or more networks operating in a vicinity of the mobile devices;
• wirelessly receiving, from one of the mobile devices, a request for configuration details associated with a selected network of the one or more networks;
• and
• wirelessly transmitting, for reception by said one of the mobile devices, configuration details in response to the request, the configuration details for use in configuring the mobile device for connecting/attaching the mobile device to the selected network.

An apparatus for supporting connection/attachment of mobile devices to a network, the apparatus comprising:

• an access node configured to wirelessly communicate with mobile devices;
• an information server configured to provide engagement terms for wireless transmission to a set of mobile devices via the access node, the engagement terms associated with one or more networks operating in a vicinity of the mobile devices;
• and
• a configuration server configured to:
• receive a request for configuration details associated with a selected network of the one or more networks, the request received from a mobile device of the set of mobile devices via the access node;
• and
• provide, for wireless transmission to said one of the mobile devices via the access node, configuration details in response to the request, the configuration details for use in configuring the mobile device for connecting/attaching the mobile device to the selected network.

A system comprising:

• a mobile device comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a microprocessor, and a memory and configured to:
• receive, using the wireless receiver, engagement terms associated with one or more available networks in a vicinity of the mobile device;
• transmit, using the wireless transmitter, a request for configuration details associated with a selected network of the available networks;
• receive, using the wireless receiver, configuration details transmitted in response to the request, the configuration details for use in configuring the mobile device for connecting/attaching the mobile device to the selected network;
• and
• initiate a registration and connection operation, using the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver, for the selected network based on the configuration details;
• and
• an apparatus for supporting connection/attachment of the mobile device to a network, the apparatus comprising:
• an access node configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile device;
• an information server configured to provide the engagement terms for wireless transmission to the mobile device via the access node;
• and
• a configuration server configured to:
• receive the request for configuration details from the mobile device via the access node;
• and
• provide, for wireless transmission to the mobile device via the access node, the configuration details in response to the request.