System and method for restricting call setup to a fixed subscription area in a cellular telecommunications network

A cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells;

• said system comprising:
• a home location register (HLR) for storing a subscriber profile for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber;
• means for sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber;
• means for permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells;
• means within said HLR for defining at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA);
• means for permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup to the system through said FSA;
• and
• a redirect access means for redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA when said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.

In a cellular telecommunications system having a plurality of cells and a plurality of subscribers utilizing a plurality of cellular telephones of approximately the same radio frequency transmitter power to access said cellular system, said plurality of subscribers including at least one fixed subscriber and being assigned restricted access to said system through a fixed subscription area (FSA) including at least one of said cells, a method of redirecting access of said fixed subscriber to said at least one cell included in said FSA when said fixed subscriber attempts to access said telecommunications system through a serving cell not forming part of the FSA, the method comprising the steps of:

• defining in a home location register (HLR) which of said plurality of cells is included in said FSA;
• determining whether at least one neighbor cell to the serving cell is one of the cells in the FSA;
• defining, in a subscriber profile stored in said HLR, whether each of said plurality of subscribers is assigned to said FSA;
• sending an inquiry from a serving mobile switching center (MSC) to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a fixed subscriber assigned to said FSA;
• denying access of said fixed subscriber to said system upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is not one of the cells in the FSA;
• and
• redirecting access of said fixed subscriber from the serving cell to the at least one neighbor cell upon determining that the at least one neighbor cell is one of the cells in the FSA.

In a cellular telecommunications system serving a plurality of normal subscribers and a plurality of fixed subscribers, said normal and fixed subscribers having cellular telephones of approximately equal radio frequency transmission power for accessing the system through a plurality of cells and a plurality of base stations electronically connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), each of said base stations transmitting radio frequency signals over a coverage area defining one of said cells;

• a method for accessing the system comprising the steps of:
• storing a subscriber profile in a home location register (HLR) for each of said plurality of subscribers, each subscriber profile identifying whether an associated subscriber is a fixed subscriber:
• sending an inquiry from said MSC to said HLR to determine whether an accessing subscriber is a normal subscriber or a fixed subscriber:
• permitting said normal subscriber to setup a call in the system through any one of said plurality of cells;
• defining, within said HLR, at least one of said plurality of cells to form a fixed subscription area (FSA);
• determining whether said fixed subscriber is attempting to access said system through one of said plurality of cells in said FSA;
• permitting said fixed subscriber restricted call setup in the system upon determining that said subscriber is attempting to access said system through said FSA;
• and
• redirecting access to the system by said fixed subscriber to one of said cells in said FSA upon determining that said fixed subscriber initially accesses the system through a serving cell excluded from the FSA.