YT:PMD-3312

User Story

As a Communications Service Provider (CSP), I want to enable AI assistant capabilities and securely connect AI services to our PortaBilling API on a per-end-user basis, so that my team can focus on building AI assistant logic and improve customer service and operational efficiency without having to manage underlying infrastructure.

Example of use

A CSP wants to integrate an AI assistant with their PortaBilling system to handle customer inquiries about billing or service usage. Instead of setting up and managing their own MCP server, they subscribe to the "MCP Server as a Service" on the PortaOne Addon Mart. They configure their connection to PortaBilling API. When an end-user interacts with the AI assistant, they are authenticated securely, and the AI assistant makes the requests to the correct PortaBilling API to retrieve the requested information (e.g., current balance, call history).

Business model

Addon Mart subscription

Technology

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Current Solution

Every CSP must deploy their own MCP server and manage the underlying infrastructure

Stakeholders and their benefits

Benefit /
Stakeholders		More
Comfort		Increased
Efficiency		Saves
Time		Replaces
Human
CSP(tick) (tick) (tick) 
Network operations /
Support of CSP		(tick) (tick) (tick) 
Developer
(tick) (tick) 
End user


(tick) 

Use Cases

Use case #1: Deployment and use of a cloud-hosted MCP server

Roles: CSP, Addon Mart, AI Assistant, Customer

Preconditions:

  • CSP has access to Addon Mart
  • CSP prepares the DNS record for https://mcp.super-telco.com
  • PortaBilling is ready to process API requests (including firewalls)

Use scenario #1.1: Subscription and deployment

  • CSP logs in to Addon Mart

  • CSP activates the PortaBilling MCP server as a service (either trial or paid subscription)

  • CSP defines the URL of the PortaBilling API server - https://super-telco.com/8444/rest (as CSP develops an AI assistant that needs access to the Retail realm)

  • CSP sees which tools/endpoints are available for AI Assistants that will connect to this MCP server
  • CSP enables access to invoices, transaction history and logs

  • СSP deploys the MCP server at https://mcp.super-telco.com

  • CSP configures the AI Assistant to connect to the MCP server at https://mcp.super-telco.com

Use scenario #1.2: Connecting to the MCP server to interact with the API server

  • The AI Assistant connects to the MCP server hosted at https://mcp.super-telco.com

  • Customer opens the AI Assistant and enters their credentials

  • After successful authentication, Customer asks the AI Assistant why their invoice is still unpaid even though the payment has already been made

  • The AI Assistant collects the info about the customer and asks for the invoice number

  • Customer provides invoice #54321

  • The AI Assistant interacts with the PortaBilling API server (https://super-telco.com/8444/rest) via the MCP server to extract information about invoice #54321 and recent payments made by Customer
  • The AI Assistant analyzes the history of payments and invoices
  • The AI Assistant explains that the payment made earlier covered the previously issued invoice #54320 which was unpaid
  • When Customer asks about data of other Customers, the AI Assistant has no access to it

Demo (Claude Desktop)

Non-functional requirements

  • Availability: When PortaBilling is unreachable, return actionable errors within 3 sec and keep the MCP server up; NO queue/retry for the MVP
  • Security: PortaBilling credentials must not be stored
  • Token lifetime: Refresh expired or near-expiration tokens
  • Throughput: 100 RPS

Peculiarities

  • The MVP will focus on PortaBilling API, with other APIs to be added in the future (e.g. Charging REST API, Call Control API, ESPF API)
  • Given the URL of the API server and the realm, the system can load the OpenAPI spec (e.g. https://demo.portaone.com/doc/api/AdminInterface.json) to expose the available tools/endpoints

ESPF / Monitoring

N/A