System and method for checking service availability

A method for determining the availability of wireless service to a premises address in a communications network, the communications network comprising a plurality of base stations providing a plurality of radio frequency (RF) service coverage areas and including rate center information for a plurality of rate centers, RF coverage information for the plurality of RF service coverage areas and a rule-set applicable to each RF coverage area, the RF coverage information including the relationship between base stations and RF coverage areas, and business rules associated with each base station, the method comprising:

• receiving the premises address for determination of wireless service availability in a rate center;
• accessing rate center and RF coverage information in response to the premises address;
• determining, from the rate center information, a rate center in which the premises address is located;
• determining, from the RF coverage information, an RF coverage area in which the premises addresses located;
• determining a selected rule-set for the RF coverage area in which the premises address is located, the determination of the selected rule-set including selection of a base station corresponding to the RF coverage area in which the premises address is located;
• and
• assigning service to the premises address if the premises address is located with an RF coverage area an in accordance with the selected rule-set, wherein the assigning of service availability to the premises address in response to the RF coverage rule-set includes applying the business rules of the selected base station to the remote unit at the premises address.

A method for determining the availability of service in a wireless communications network including a plurality of base stations to provide areas of radio frequency (RF) coverage and including information concerning rate centers, the base stations having business rules governing the availability and capacity of each base station, and wherein a relationship exists between RF coverage areas and base stations, the method comprising:

• receiving a premises address for the determination of service availability;
• geocoding the premises address to create a place;
• locating the place in an area of RF coverage;
• locating the place in a rate center;
• assigning the place to a base station;
• and
• assigning service availability to the place in response to the business rules of the assigned base station and the adequacy of RF coverage.

A system for determining the availability of wireless communications services to a communications network subscriber with a premises address, the system comprising:

• a service coverage and location (SCL) server including a database of rate centers in the communications network, said SCL including an application to convert premises addresses to geographically located positions, and to determine a rate center associated with a premises address, said SCL server including a database of radio frequency (RF) coverage areas, said SCL server application locating the premises address in an area of RF coverage and determining the availability of service in response to the RF coverage area in which the premises address is located, said SCL including a port to accept the premises address, and to provide the determined rate center and service availability:
• an SCC user interface connected to said SCL to provide the premises address to said SCL, and to accept the determined rate center and availability from said SCL;
• and
• a plurality of base stations to provide the areas of RF coverage;
• and in which said SCL server includes a base station database, said base station database including a set of business rules associated with each base station, said SCL application generating a relationship between base stations and areas of RF coverage and selecting the base station associated with the RF coverage area in which the premises address is located, said application determining service availability in response to the business rules that are applied to the premises address.

A method of providing wireless service to a premises through a communications network, the method comprising:

• receiving an address of the premises;
• determining a rate center containing the address;
• accessing radio frequency (RF) coverage information for a plurality of radio frequency (RF) coverage areas provided by a plurality of base stations, the RF coverage information including a relationship between the plurality of base stations and the plurality RF coverage areas;
• and
• assigning wireless service to the promises if the premises is located within an RF coverage area of the plurality of RF coverage areas.

A system for determining the availability of wireless communications services to a communications network subscriber with a premises address, the system comprising:

• a plurality of base stations providing a plurality of RF coverage areas;
• and
• a service coverage and location (SCL) server comprising:
• a port to accept the premises address and to provide a determined rate center and service availability;
• a database of rate centers in the communications network;
• a database of the radio frequency (RF) coverage areas, and
• a server application to convert addresses to geographically located positions and to determine a rate center associated with the premises address, the server application including code to locate the premises address in an area of RF coverage and to determine the availability of service in response to the RF coverage area in which the premises address is located.