Method and system for nationwide mobile telecommunications billing

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of communication of billing information for mobile telecommunications.
Another object is to reduce the amount of reformatting of billing information which must be performed by telecommunications networks for mobile telecommunications.
Another object is to reduce the overhead burden of generating customer bills and reconciliation information which must be performed by telecommunications networks for mobile communications.
These and other objects, advantages and features are provided by the method and system for nationwide mobile telecommunications billing.
In one embodiment, every local mobile network generates billing information in the same format, known as a master call detail record (MCDR).
A base set of fields is populated with information generated by every mobile transaction.
Extension fields are populated only when necessary, depending upon the information generated by each mobile transaction.
In another embodiment, local mobile networks are communicatively connected by a signaling network to a national mobile service platform (NMSP).
Local mobile networks associated with the NMSP generate MCDRs and communicate them to the NMSP for processing.
Traffic event information generated by other local mobile networks, local land-line networks and long distance networks is collected by the NMSP.
The NMSP processes all traffic events for all calls, generates all necessary billing information and returns resulting billing information to other networks only when necessary.
To simplify NMSP processing, all billing information collected from other networks is formatted to form uniform master call detail records.
Each MCDR contains all the information necessary for the NMSP to perform its processing.
Each MCDR is rated, then billing information is generated.
All billing information returned to associated networks is in MCDR format.
Billing information returned to other networks is translated by the NMSP to other formats as appropriate