Charging system for a communication system

A charging server for a communication system, the communication system including a plurality of network elements of a fixed network and a plurality of user equipments, at least some of the plurality of network elements and the plurality of user equipments comprising a charging proxy, the charging server comprising:

• a topic controller for initializing charging topics, each charging topic being associable with charging data;
• a publication controller for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as publishing proxies;
• a subscription controller for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as subscribing proxies;
• a receiver for receiving charging data messages from charging proxies;
• a charging data receiver for validating a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

A method of operation for a communication system, the communication system including a plurality of network elements of a fixed network and a plurality of user equipments, at least some of the plurality of network elements and the plurality of user equipments comprising a charging proxy, the method comprising:

• initializing charging topics, each charging topic being associable with charging data;
• for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as publishing proxies;
• for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as subscribing proxies;
• receiving charging data messages from proxies;
• validating a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic;
• and
• transmitting the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.