Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks

An apparatus to configure a virtual private mobile network, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable memory storing computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
• identify available network elements within a wireless network of a wireless network provider based on a request from a client;
• and
• allocate a portion of a control plane and a portion of a data plane of the identified network elements for the virtual private mobile network;
• configure the portion of the control plane of the identified network elements for the virtual private mobile network and the portion of the data plane of the identified network elements by creating a virtual circuit comprising a serving gateway, an Internet protocol network, a wireless base transceiver station, and a packet data network gateway for the virtual private mobile network;
• and
• enable a mobile device subscribed to a service of the client to wirelessly communicatively couple to the virtual private mobile network by:
• determining whether the mobile device is authorized to access the virtual private mobile network based on a request to connect from the mobile device using an access point name;
• when the mobile device is authorized, forwarding communications from the mobile device received at the wireless base transceiver station to the serving gateway via the virtual circuit;
• and
• when the mobile device is authorized, routing the communications using the access point name from the serving gateway to the packet data network gateway to route the communications to the Internet Protocol network via the virtual circuit.

A tangible computer readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

• access a request from a client, the request including an instruction to create a virtual private mobile network for the client;
• identify available network elements within a wireless network of a wireless network provider based on the request from the client;
• configure a portion of a control plane and a portion of a data plane of the identified network elements for the virtual private mobile network by creating a virtual circuit comprising a serving gateway, an Internet protocol network, a wireless base transceiver station, and a packet data network gateway for the virtual private mobile network;
• and
• enable user equipment to wirelessly communicatively couple to the virtual private mobile network by:
• determining whether the user equipment is authorized to access the virtual private mobile network based on a request to connect from the user equipment using an access point name;
• if the user equipment is determined to be authorized, forwarding communications from the user equipment received at the wireless base transceiver station to the serving gateway via the virtual circuit;
• and
• if the user equipment is determined to be authorized, routing the communications using the access point name from the serving gateway to the packet data network gateway to route the communications to the Internet Protocol network via the virtual circuit.