Method of Controlling Operation of Telecommunications Network

Abstract

A method of optimizing operation of a telecommunications network when traffic demand exceeds capacity of the network. The method comprises retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber; analyzing phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber; creating a representation of a social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record; and suspending part of the subscribers from said social network in a way that at least one member of said social network is not suspended.

1 . A method of optimising operation of a telecommunications network in a situation of traffic demand exceeding capacity of the network, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network;   analysing phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber;   creating a representation of a social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record; and   suspending provision of telecommunications services to part of the subscribers from said social network, wherein the subscribers to be suspended are selected in a way that at least one member of said social network derived from the call data record is not suspended.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 sending a message by the telecommunications network to the not-suspended subscriber requesting said not-suspended subscriber to rely messages to members of his social network; and 
 sending a message by the telecommunications network to the subscribers to be suspended identifying the not-suspended member of the social network. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the steps of the method are carried out in relation to all subscribers served by the telecommunications network located in an area affected by the traffic demand exceeding capacity of the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a subscriber is not suspended if a distance from said subscriber to a nearest not-suspended member of his social network is greater than a defined distance. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a subscriber is not suspended if a number of phone calls or text messages between said subscriber and the nearest not-suspended member of his social network is lower than a defined value. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying in the call data record phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium lines; and   creating a modified record based on said call data record, wherein in said modified record said phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium lines are removed.   
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a telecommunications network comprising transmitting messages to selected subscribers, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network;   identifying in the call data record phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines;   creating a modified record based on said call data record, wherein in said modified record said phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines are removed; and   transmitting a message to subscribers remaining on said modified record.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the message is sent to the subscribers remaining on said modified record following a request from the first subscriber to regenerate a phone book of a user equipment of said first subscriber. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the message sent to the subscribers remaining on said modified record comprises a request to send a reply specifying the name of the sending subscriber. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9  comprising a step of regenerating the phone book based on received replies. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the transmitted message is a message received from the first subscriber. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , comprising specifying by the first subscriber a distance from a defined location and forwarding the message received from the first subscriber only to subscribers remaining on said modified record and located within said distance from said defined location. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the message is transmitted only to subscribers located within a defined distance from a defined location. 
     
     
         14 . An Operations Support System for a telecommunications network comprising a charging system and a record analysing module, wherein the record analysing module is adapted to retrieve a call data record of a first subscriber from the charging system and to analyse phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber; the Operations Support System further comprises a control module for controlling operations of the network based on information received from the analysing module. 
     
     
         15 . The Operations Support System according to  claim 14 , wherein the analysing module is adapted to create a representation of a social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record and the control module is adapted to suspend provision of telecommunications services to part of the subscribers from said modified record, wherein the subscribers to be suspended are selected in a way that at least one member of a social network derived from the call data record is not suspended. 
     
     
         16 . The Operations Support System according to  claim 14  adapted to perform a method of optimising operation of a telecommunications network in a situation of traffic demand exceeding capacity of the network, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network; 
 analysing phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber; 
 creating a representation of a social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record; and 
 suspending provision of telecommunications services to part of the subscribers from said social network, wherein the subscribers to be suspended are selected in a way that at least one member of said social network derived from the call data record is not suspended. 
 
     
     
         17 . The Operations Support System according to  claim 14 , wherein the analysing module is adapted to create a modified record based on said call data record, wherein in said modified record phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium lines are removed and said control module is adapted to instruct the telecommunications network to transmit a message to subscribers remaining on said modified record. 
     
     
         18 . The Operations Support System according to  claim 14  adapted to operate in accordance with a method of operating a telecommunications network comprising transmitting messages to selected subscribers, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network; 
 identifying in the call data record phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines; 
 creating a modified record based on said call data record, wherein in said modified record said phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines are removed; and 
 transmitting a message to subscribers remaining on said modified record. 
 
     
     
         19 . A telecommunications network comprising a first plurality of base stations serving a second plurality of user equipment, a radio network controller and an Operations Support System with a charging system and a record analysing module, wherein the record analysing module is adapted to retrieve a call data record of a first subscriber from the charging system and to analyse phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber; the Operations Support System further comprises a control module for controlling operations of the network based on information received from the analysing module. 
     
     
         20 . The network according to  claim 19 , wherein the analysing module is adapted to create a representation of social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record and the control module is adapted to suspend provision of telecommunications services to part of the subscribers from said modified record, wherein the subscribers to be suspended are selected in a way that at least one member of a social network derived from the call data record is not suspended. 
     
     
         21 . The network according to  claim 19  adapted to operate in accordance with a method of optimising operation of a telecommunications network in a situation of traffic demand exceeding capacity of the network, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network; 
 analysing phone calls and/or text messages made and received by said first subscriber; 
 creating a representation of a social network of said first subscriber based on the call data record; and 
 suspending provision of telecommunications services to part of the subscribers from said social network, wherein the subscribers to be suspended are selected in a way that at least one member of said social network derived from the call data record is not suspended. 
 
     
     
         22 . The network according to  claim 19 , wherein the analysing module is adapted to create a modified record based on said call data record, wherein from said modified record said phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines are removed and further adapted to instruct the telecommunications network to transmit a message to subscribers remaining on said modified record. 
     
     
         23 . The network according to  claim 19  adapted to operate in accordance with a method of operating a telecommunications network comprising transmitting messages to selected subscribers, the method comprising:
 retrieving a call data record of a first subscriber of the telecommunications network; 
 identifying in the call data record phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines; 
 creating a modified record based on said call data record, wherein in said modified record said phone numbers of non-human subscribers and/or phone numbers of premium phone lines are removed; and 
 transmitting a message to subscribers remaining on said modified record.