System and method of controlling application level access of subscriber to a network

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one server configured to send, to a home network an identification of a subscriber, the location of the subscriber, and a type of access network at which the subscriber is registering, wherein at least the location of the home network is determined by the visited network based on analysis of data transmitted to the visited network from the subscriber using packet data protocol;
• the at least one server further configured, in response to the sending, to receive from the home network a selected predetermined subscriber profile selected from of a plurality of subscriber profiles for the subscriber based at least in part on the location of subscriber, each subscriber profile of the plurality of subscriber profiles including a different level of access defining at least one of a bandwidth degree, a security degree or supported supplementary services, in which the selected subscriber profile comprises an authorization for an authorized level of access for the type of access network, and to store at the server the received selected predetermined subscriber profile;
• and
• the at least one server further configured to control access provided to the subscriber to services provided through the server dependent upon a comparison of a requested level of access and the authorized level of access in the stored selected predetermined subscriber profile, wherein access provided to the subscriber is application level access used to provide connectivity of the subscriber in the visited network defined by the selected subscriber profile.

A method comprising:

• in a home network comprising at least one server, storing for a given subscriber a plurality of subscriber profiles, each subscriber profile indicating a different level of access for which the given subscriber is authorized;
• in response to receiving, at the home network from a visited network, a message identifying the given subscriber, the location of the subscriber, and a type of access network at which the subscriber is registering, wherein at least the location of the home network is determined by the visited network based on analysis of data transmitted to the visited network from the subscriber using packet data protocol, selecting, by the home network, from the stored plurality of subscriber profiles a selected predetermined subscriber profile selected based at least in part on the location of subscriber, each subscriber profile of the plurality of subscriber profiles including a different level of access defining at least one of a bandwidth degree, a security degree or supported supplementary services, the selected subscriber profile indicating a level of access that is authorized for the given subscriber for the type of access network based at least in part on the given subscriber and the type of access network at which the subscriber is registering;
• and
• sending from the home network to the visited network the selected predetermined subscriber profile effective to enable the visited network to control access provided to the subscriber to services provided through the visited network dependent upon a comparison of a requested level of access and the authorized level of access in the selected predetermined subscriber profile, where the access provided to the subscriber is application level access used to provide connectivity of the subscriber in the visited network defined by the selected subscriber profile.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one server storing for a given subscriber a plurality of subscriber profiles, each subscriber profile indicating a different level of access for which the given subscriber is authorized;
• the at least one server configured, in response to the apparatus receiving from a visited network a message identifying the given subscriber, the location of the subscriber and a type of access network at which the subscriber is registering, wherein at least the location of the home network is determined by the visited network based on analysis of data transmitted to the visited network from the subscriber using packet data protocol, to select from the stored plurality of subscriber profiles a selected predetermined subscriber profile selected based at least in part on the location of subscriber, each subscriber profile of the plurality of subscriber profiles including a different level of access defining at least one of a bandwidth degree, a security degree or supported supplementary services, the selected subscriber profile indicating a level of access that is authorized for the given subscriber for the type of access network based at least in part on the given subscriber and the type of access network at which the subscriber is registering;
• and
• the at least one server configured to send to the visited network the selected predetermined subscriber profile effective to enable the visited network to control access provided to the subscriber to services provided through the visited network dependent upon a comparison of a requested level of access and the authorized level of access in the selected predetermined subscriber profile, where the access provided to the subscriber is application level access used to provide connectivity of the subscriber in the visited network defined by the selected subscriber profile.