User Story

MNOs/MVNOs oftentimes sell shared pools: customers that have multiple SIM cards can combine allowances into shared pools, e.g. 10 SIM cards with data plan 1MB  and 5 SIM cards with data plan 2MB share 20MB between 15 accounts. So, this allows customers to more effectively utilize the services: i.e. companies/people can have devices that under-utilize their data allowance and devices that go over their allowance can borrow from the pool. Once devices have exceeded their pool allowance, customers will be charged excess usage per KB/MB/min/SMS.

Example of use

Business model

MNO/MVNE/MVNO

Technology

3G/4G

Current Solution

N/A

Stakeholders and their benefits

Who are the users / whom we bring value to?

Communication service providers will increase their sales at the M2M/IoT markets where shared pool is a widely used and demanded product

Use Cases

Use case #1: Creating shared pool

Roles: Administrator, portal, user, mobile core, system

Preconditions:

• PortaSwitch is connected to the mobile core for provisioning and gets usage statistics from the mobile core nodes
• The SIM and MSISDN inventory have free SIM cards and mobile numbers:

Use scenario #1.1: Available shared quota plans

• The administrator creates following plans:

Use scenario #1.2: Activation of a single shared plan

• On Jun 15, Administrator/Portal (via API) creates Customer 'Eagle Security' (with 0 AUD balance) and creates 5 accounts with SIM cards:

• On Jun 15, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' becomes 7.40 AUD (5 SIMs×(2.95AUD÷30 days×15 days))
• The user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool is 2.5MB (5 SIMs×(1MB÷30 days×15 days)) until Jun 30

Use scenario #1.3: Sharing units from the pool

• Starting from June 15, the mobile core reports usage of SIM cards 89610200000000012345-89610200000000012349 to the system
• On Jun 25,  the consumption is as follows:

• On Jun 25, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' remains 7.40 AUD
• User opens the portal and sees the current statistics for the shared pool plan as of Jun 25:

• • Total: 2.5MB
  • Used: 1.8MB

Use scenario #1.4: Excess usage charge

• On Jun 29, the total consumption for SIM cards 89610200000000012345-89610200000000012349 reaches 2.5MB
• The user opens the portal and sees the current statistics for the shared pool plan as of Jun 29:
• • Total: 2.5MB
  • Used: 2.5MB
• On Jun 30,  the consumption is as follows:

• On Jun 30, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 0.08 AUD for 1MB (rounded 0.2MB excess usage)
• The balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' becomes 7.48 AUD

Use case #2: Shared quotas of different size

Roles: Administrator, portal, user, mobile core, system

Preconditions:

• continued after UC#1
• The balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' is 0 AUD

Use scenario #2.1: Activation of a different shared quota plan

• On Jul 1, the pool shared by SIM cards 89610200000000012345-89610200000000012349 with 'DATA 1MB' plan is renewed and has 5MB until Jul 31

• On Jul 1, Administrator/Portal (via API) creates 6 more accounts with SIM cards for Customer 'Eagle Security':

• On Jul 1, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' becomes 47.00 AUD (4 SIMs x 7.50 AUD + 2 SIMs x (7.50 AUD + 1 AUD))
• The user opens the portal and sees the current statistics for the 2 separate shared pools as of Jul 1:

Use case #3: Updating shared pools

Roles: Administrator, portal, user, mobile core, system

Preconditions:

• continued after UC#2
• The balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' is 0 AUD

Use scenario #3.1: Activation of new SIM cards with a shared quota plan

• On Aug 15, Administrator/Portal (via API) creates 5 more accounts with SIM cards:

• On Aug 15, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' becomes 8.09 AUD (5 SIMs×2.95 AUD÷31 days×17 days left)
• The user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 334.52MB ((10 SIMs×1MB + 6 SIMs×100MB)÷31 days×17 days left) until Aug 31

Use scenario #3.2: Deactivation of a SIM card with a shared plan

• On Aug 22, the user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 334.52MB until Aug 31
• On Aug 22, Administrator/Portal (via API) deactivates 5 accounts with the SIM cards 89610200000000012356-89610200000000012360
• The user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 11 SIM cards is still 334.52MB until Aug 31
• The balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' remains 8.09 AUD
• On Aug 31, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 14.75 AUD (5 SIMs×2.95 AUD) for 'DATA 1MB' usage in Sep
• On Aug 31, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 47.00 AUD (4 SIMs x 7.50 AUD + 2 SIMs x (7.50 AUD + 1 AUD)) for 'DATA 100MB' and 'SMS 10' usage in Sep
• On Aug 31, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' becomes 69.84 AUD (8.09 AUD+14.75 AUD + 47 AUD)
• On Sep 1, the user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 11 SIM cards is 605MB  until Sep 30

Use scenario #3.3: Re-activation of deactivated SIM cards with a group plan

• On Dec 20, the balance of Customer 'Eagle Security' is 0 AUD
• The user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 11 SIM cards is 605MB (5 SIMs×1MB + 6 SIMs×100MB) until Dec 31
• On Dec 20, Administrator/Portal (via API) re-activates 5 accounts with the SIM cards 89610200000000012356-89610200000000012360
• On Dec 20, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 5.71 AUD (5 SIMs×2.95 AUD÷31 days×12 days left)
• The user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 606.94MB (previous 605MB+(5 SIMs×1MB÷31 days×12 days left) until Dec 31
• On Dec 31, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 29.50 AUD for 'DATA 1MB' usage in Jan
• On Dec 31, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 47 AUD for for 'DATA 100MB' and 'SMS 10' usage in Jan
• On Jan 1, the user opens the portal and sees that the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 610MB  until Jan 31

Use scenario #3.4: Upgrading a group plan

• On Feb 16, the user opens the portal and sees the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 610MB until Feb 28:
  • the share of 10 SIM cards with 'DATA 1MB' plan is 10MB
    
  • the share of 6 SIM cards with 'DATA 100MB' plan is 600MB
    
• The user realizes that SIM card 89610200000000012356 consumes too much data and its 'DATA 1MB' plan needs to be upgraded
• On Feb 16, Administrator/Portal (via API) changes the product of the account with SIM card 89610200000000012356 from 'DATA 1MB' to 'DATA 100MB'
• The user opens the portal and sees the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 656.43MB until Feb 28:
• • the share of 9 SIM cards with 'DATA 1MB' plan is still 10MB
  • the share of 7 SIM cards with 'DATA 100MB' plan is 646.43MB  (previous 600MB+(1 SIM×100MB÷28 days×13 days left))
• On Feb 16, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 4.48 AUD (1 SIM×7.50 AUD÷28 days×13 days left)

Use scenario #3.5: Downgrading a group plan (alternative to #3.4)

• On Feb 16, the user opens the portal and sees the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 610MB until Feb 28: 
  • the share of 10 SIM cards with 'DATA 1MB' plan is 10MB 
  • the share of 6 SIM cards with 'DATA 100MB' plan is 600MB
• The user realizes that SIM card 89610200000000012350 consumes too little data and its 'DATA 100MB' plan needs to be downgraded
• On Feb 16, Administrator/Portal (via API) changes the product of the account with SIM card 89610200000000012350 from 'DATA 100MB' to 'DATA 1MB'
• The user opens the portal and sees the shared pool for 16 SIM cards is 610.46MB until Feb 28:
  • the share of 11 SIM cards with 'DATA 1MB' plan is 10.46MB  (previous 10MB+(1 SIM×1MB÷28 days×13 days left))
  • the share of 5 SIM cards with 'DATA 100MB' plan is still 600MB  until Feb 28
• On Feb 16, Customer 'Eagle Security' is charged 1.37 AUD (1 SIM×2.95 AUD÷28 days×13 days left)

Non-functional requirements / constraints

• Pools can be shared by hundreds thousands of SIM cards, e.g. 350 000 SIM cards under one customer
• The target for the CSP's nearest future is 3 000 000 SIM cards
• The current project may use
  • xDR mediation
  • Gy
• Allocated monthly quotas for data include both UPLOAD and DOWNLOAD traffic