Mobile operator-mediated telephony-over-data system and implementation, and mobile smartphone-over-data device and computer-implemented environment therefor

A system for a mobile network operator to provide a registered subscriber access to mobile telephony services over a mobile communication network using distinct mobile communication devices, the system comprising:

• one or more servers accessible via a designated mobile data network access point and executing a user authentication engine;
• a plurality of computer-readable authentication media each registered with the mobile network operator and compatible with authentication in the mobile communication network, wherein each of said authentication media, when operatively coupled to a given one of the distinct mobile communication devices in operation, is automatically authenticated in the mobile communication network as being registered with the mobile network operator to authorize said given mobile communication device restricted mobile data access over the mobile communication network to said one or more servers via said designated mobile data network access point;
• an user identification interface with any said given mobile communication device to access and communicate subscriber identification data over said restricted mobile data access for authentication by said authentication engine as corresponding to a registered subscriber account with the mobile network operator, and thereby authorize any said given mobile communication device, post subscriber authentication, access to the mobile telephony services while tracking mobile usage against said registered subscriber account.

A mobile network authentication method for authorizing a communication device access to mobile network services via an available mobile network connection, the method comprising:

• enabling authentication of the mobile communication device as being registered to a designated mobile subscriber network providing the mobile network services to their subscribers;
• allowing the mobile communication device restricted access via said available mobile network connection to a designated data network access point of said designated mobile subscriber network as a result of said device authentication;
• executing subscriber authentication via said designated data network access point as a function of input subscriber credentials;
• and
• authorizing subscriber access to the mobile network services subject to successful subscriber authentication via said designated data network access point.

A mobile subscriber system comprising:

• a mobile data network access point;
• a telephony-over-data server accessible via said data network access point and operable to intermediate one or more telephony-over-data functions;
• a client application executable on a mobile communication device to interface with said server via said mobile data network access point to selectively invoke said functions;
• and
• a subscriber account database tracking data consumption by each said subscriber upon invoking said functions via respective authenticated executions of said client application, against a respective all-data mobile subscription account associated with each said subscriber.

A method for providing mobile telephony service access to subscribers comprising:

• funneling mobile data communications from respective mobile devices via a dedicated mobile data network access point to a telephony-over-data server;
• intermediating the mobile telephony services for each of said mobile devices over data via said server;
• and
• tracking in a subscriber account database data consumption by each authenticated subscriber upon invoking said services via said server against a respective all-data mobile subscription account associated with each said subscriber.

A method for providing secure mobile telephony communications between subscribers, the method comprising:

• establishing respective data network links between a telephony-over-data server and a mobile data client application executed on respective mobile devices;
• authenticating respective subscribers via said mobile application;
• initiating respectively encrypted sessions over said respective data network links with said server;
• and
• relaying telephony-over-data communications to and from said respective mobile devices via said respectively encrypted sessions, thereby providing secure end-to-end telephony-over-data communications between said subscribers via respective execution of said mobile client application.

A mobile network communication routing method for an inbound telephony communication, the method comprising:

• receiving the inbound communication at a local termination switch;
• cross-referencing a destination number associated with the inbound communication with a register of users of a mobile telephony-over-data environment;
• and
• upon confirming association of said destination number with a given one of said users, rerouting the inbound telephony communication to a server associated with said mobile telephony-over-data environment to be accessed therefrom by said given user via an available data network connection.

A mobile telephony system comprising:

• a mobile operator access point operable to receive a mobile telephony communication directed to a registered mobile telephony number associated with a registered mobile user account;
• a server communicatively link to said mobile operator access point and operable to convert said mobile telephony communication into a telephony-over-data communication;
• and
• a thin client application executable on a mobile communication device to interface with said server in authenticating a registered user of said thin client application against said registered user account and thereby provide registered user access, under active operation of said thin client on said mobile communication device, to said telephony-over-data communication as directed to said registered mobile telephony number.

A mobile telephony system comprising:

• a mobile operator access point operable to funnel mobile telephony communications directed to and from a registered mobile telephony number associated with a registered mobile user account;
• a server communicatively link to said mobile operator access point and operable to convert said mobile telephony communications to and from corresponding telephony-over-data communications against said registered mobile user account;
• and
• a thin client application executable on a mobile communication device to interface with said server in authenticating a registered user of said thin client application against said registered user account in enabling said registered user to partake in said telephony-over-data communications via said thin client application;
• wherein data communications to and from said mobile device are funneled by default via said mobile operator access point over a mobile data network;
• and
• wherein said thin client application is operable to actively report or push a current location of said mobile device to said sever to enhance mobile operator services to said registered user based on said current location via said thin client application.