System for controlling access to a service, and corresponding method, control device, and computer program

A method of controlling access to a service of a mobile operator, wherein said service is accessible via a plurality of private access stations to a communications network, said method comprising:

• aggregating said private stations into an access network dedicated to said service;
• associating each of said private stations with a respective location area;
• in an event of a location updating procedure initiated by a user terminal:
• determining a category to which said user belongs, said category depending on a status selected from the group consisting of (i) the user is subscribed to said service, (ii) the user is not subscribed to said service but is subscribed to the mobile operator, (iii) the user is not subscribed to said service and is not subscribed to the mobile operator, and (iv) the user is subscribed to said service and is subscribed to the mobile operator but is only authorized for at least one but less than all of the plurality of home gateways;
• controlling access by said user terminal to one of said private stations, as a function of the category so determined;
• and
• in the event of refusal of access by said user terminal to one of said private stations, said access control step includes sending said terminal a refusal message including a rejection cause that is a function of the category determined for said user.

A system for controlling access to a service of a mobile operator, wherein said service is accessible via a plurality of home gateways forming private stations to a communications network, said system comprising:

• an access network dedicated to said service comprising said private stations collectively formed together, each of said private stations being provided with a respective location area;
• and
• means activated in an event of a location updating procedure initiated by a user terminal:
• for determining a category to which said user belongs, said category depending at least on whether the user subscribes to said service;
• and
• for controlling access by said user terminal to one of said private stations, as a function of the category so determined,
• wherein in the event of refusal of access to said user terminal to one of said private stations, said access control means are adapted to send said terminal a refusal message including a rejection cause that is a function of the category determined for said user, and
• wherein said means for determining a category to which said user belongs and said means for controlling access by said user terminal are implemented by at least one controller connected to said private stations through at least one IP network.