Advanced air time management

A method of communications usage management for multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

• storing communications usage attributes in a management database for each networked device, the stored communications usage attributes defining a plurality of criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the telecommunications network, wherein said plurality of criteria comprises a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device, and wherein at least one bin of time is limited by a predefined time period, allowing or prohibiting communications therein;
• interfacing at least one networked device as a system management device operable for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of others of the multiple networked devices;
• and
• computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network with communications usage software operable with each networked device to provide an accounting of usage minutes for each of the stored communications usage attributes with respect to each of the criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the telecommunications network,
• wherein multiple devices, each corresponding to at least one user may purchase a quantity of units, the units being redeemable for services on the communication system, wherein a user may cause units to be transferred to another user.

A system for communications usage management of multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

• means for storing communications usage attributes in a management database for each networked device, the management database using the communications usage attributes for defining a plurality of criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access to each networked device to the communications network, wherein said plurality of criteria comprises a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device, and wherein at least one bin of time is limited by a predefined time period, allowing or prohibiting communications therein;
• means for interfacing at least one networked device as a system management device operable for accessing the storing means to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of others of the multiple networked devices;
• and
• means for computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network with communications usage software operable with each networked device to provide an accounting of usage minutes for each of the stored communications usage attributes with respect to each of the criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the communications network.

A system for communications usage management of multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

• a management database for storing communications usage attributes for at least one networked device, the stored communications usage attributes defining a plurality of criteria regulating access of the at least one networked device to the telecommunications network, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored in the at least one networked device;
• a user interface operable as a system management device for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of the at least one networked devices;
• and
• communications usage software operable with the at least one networked device for computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network, said communications usage software providing an accounting of usage and regulating the usage in accordance to the management database,
• wherein when the at least one networked device attempts communications not allowed by the communications usage software, the at least one networked device facilitates sending a request to at least one designated networked device authorized to change entries in the management database.