ts-PWLAN: A value-add system for providing tiered wireless services in public hot-spots

Abstract

Access to data services via wireless LANs at private (e.g., corporations or home) and public "hot-spot" (e.g., hotels and airports) settings is becoming commonplace daily. Data access via (for profit) public wireless LAN (PWLAN) installations is typically based on user subscription and pre-configured services profiles pertaining primarily access to the global Internet. The goal of the ts-PWLAN1 project is to define an architecture and a prototype implementation that enables the provision of premium and non-premium tiers of services to transient and non-transient users. ts-PWLAN provides for dynamic renegotiations of tier of services and enables various billing modes, e.g., based on connectivity time and usage, thus enabling service providers to increase their revenue opportunities via multiple service offerings.