Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Announced Roaming Location (ARoL) Service
1 Definitions & Acronyms
1. ARoL service ¨ Announced Roaming Location service
2. ARoL subscriber ¨ A customer subscribed to the ARoL service. Of course, as
an ARoL
subscriber, he/she is assumed to have the IMR service with his/her Telco
Operator (See
Definition 12 for IMR service).
3. BSC ¨ Base Station Controller, which controls a given number of BTSs
(towers) (See
Definition 4 for BTS).
4. BTS ¨ Base Transceiver Station, which is the tower radiating the signal to
the mobile.
5. Callee ¨ The person being called (or intended to be called).
6. Caller ¨ The person who is calling (or attempting to call). In this
document, he can be:
a. calling locally (On-Net or Off-Net) or internationally, using a mobile
network or a
landline network.
b. a customer of the same operator as the callee, or not.
c. an ARoL subscriber, or not.
7. GMSC ¨ Gateway MSC (See Definition 14 for MSC).
8. GMSCrimNo ¨ GMSC of the HMNO (See Definition 9 for HMNO)
9. HMNO ¨ Home Mobile Network Operator, hosting the ARoL subscriber.
10. HLR ¨ Home Location Register, storing the details of the all the
subscribers
permanently.
11. HLRHNIN0 ¨ HLR of the HMNO
12. IMR service ¨ International Mobile Roaming service, granting a subscriber
an automatic
access to the visited operator (in in the visited country) when arriving; and
then,
seamlessly using his mobile phone/device (voice calls, text messages, Internet
...).
13. IMS1¨ International Mobile Subscriber Identity (identity of the SIM card).
It identifies the
mobile station, its home wireless network, and its home country.
14. MSC ¨ Mobile Switching Center, controlling a given number of BSCs and
responsible for
switching calls to called subscribers.
15. MSISDN ¨ Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number. It is
the number
used for routing the call to the subscriber (dialed number to connect to a
mobile phone).
16. MSISDNARor. ¨ MSISDN of the ARoL subscriber
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17. MSRN ¨ Mobile Station Roaming Number. It is allocated by the VLR (from a
list of
numbers it holds) in order to route the call from the mobile phone to the MSC
(via the
BTS/BSC) (See Definition 21 for VLR).
18. NITZ ¨ Network Identity and time Zone.
19. SIM ¨ Subscriber Identity Module.
20. Telco Operator ¨ It can be a Mobile Operator, a Landline Operator, or
both.
21. VLR ¨ Visitor Location Register, storing the details of the all the
visiting subscribers
temporarily, as long as they are "active" in the particular area it covers.
22. VLRHinNo ¨ VLR of the HMNO
2 ARoL Service Description
ARoL service is a telecom mobile service. Its main objective is to permit to
its subscriber a
better management of his received calls when travelling abroad. The ARoL
service main idea is
to inform a caller ¨ calling an ARoL subscriber ¨ that the called number is
roaming abroad, the
country (NOT THE CITY) where he is roaming and the local time there, in order
to decide either
to continue with the call or to call at a more convenient time. Of course, if
more than one time
zone apply to that country, the local time announced is of the city where the
ARoL subscriber is
when receiving the call.
The ARoL service has two levels:
= Basic ARoL (Level 1) ¨ addressed to a caller ¨ calling an ARoL subscriber
¨ who is NOT a
customer of the HMNO. The caller is a customer of another Telco Operator ¨
either within
the same country or in another country.
= Advanced ARoL (Level 21¨ addressed to a caller ¨ calling an ARoL
subscriber ¨ who is a
customer of the HMNO. In other words, the caller and the ARoL subscriber (the
callee) are
customers of the same Mobile Operator.
For the determination of the location and the local time, the NITZ feature can
be used, and the
information forwarded to the mobile phone can be shared between the VLR to
which the ARoL
subscriber is attached (in the visited country where roaming) and the HLR of
the HMNO.
It is important to note that the ARoL service is NOT an IMR service, requiring
international
agreements between operators. It is a local service that an operator is
offering to its customers.
Also, it is important to note that this service is OPTIONAL in roaming
situations. As a matter of
fact, while one of the main features of mobile communication is to hide the
location of the called
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number from the calling number, through the MSRN concept, the location release
of the called
person remains the choice of this latter¨ as an ARoL subscriber.
2.1 Basic ARoL (Level 1)
With this service level (Level 1), when calling an ARoL subscriber, travelling
and roaming in
another country, the caller is informed via a recorded voice message:
- In which country the "callee" is; and the local time there.
- Then, if the caller would like to continue with this initiated call or to
hung up.
This recorded voice message is expected to be in two languages: English and
the country
official language. Of course, if the callee is switched off or out of coverage
(not connected to
any network), the caller will listen to the common and familiar recorded voice
message, stating
that the dialed number is currently unreachable. Of course, it is assumed that
a roaming
agreement is established between the HMNO and the network the ARoL subscriber
is
connected to (in the visited country). The following examples (Examples 1, 2 &
3) sketch how
Basic ARoL works.
Example 1:
An ARoL subscriber, with a mobile line from SIC (a Telco Operator in Saudi
Arabia) is
in a business trip in Chicago (USA) in February. He is being called from
Riyadh (Saudi
Arabia) at 1:25pm Saudi time (UTC + 03:00) by a caller with a mobile line from
Mobilv (a
second Telco Operator in Saudi Arabia). When dialing the number, and after the
setup
of the related call signaling, the caller (in Riyadh) will listen to the
following recorded
voice message in both languages: English and Arabic.
)) The number you are dialing is roaming in The United States
where the local time there is 04:25 am
To continue with this call, press (1). If not, just hung up
iJa:L.111clit..4411 J1..9+:11+-1L-
La4,42 04:25 1111-it µ0.1aASI
j111
12:%31 ji 41) IL:al AA1LSAII JAI
Then, it is up to the caller to decide about the importance of the call, by
either:
= Pressing (1) to continue, and the callee will hear his mobile phone
ringing,
= Or, just hanging up and calling another time.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-30
Notes:
= If the callee is busy with another call (and call waitina is not being
used), the Visited
MSC routes the call to a pre-determined Call Forward Busy (CFB) number. It may
be set by default to the callee voice mail.
= If the callee does not answer, the Visited MSC routes the call to a pre-
determined
Call Forward No Reply (CFNRy) number. It may be set by default to the callee
voice mail.
= If the caller does nothing or presses another digit, the call will be
rejected (ended).
= When hanging up, or the call rejected, an SMS is forwarded to the called
ARoL
subscriber (the callee), informing him about an attempted call from "the
caller
number" at "the caller local time".
Example 2:
An ARoL subscriber, with a mobile line from Saudi Telecom (STC), is in a
business trip
in Washington DC (USA) in February. He is receiving a landline/mobile call
from London
(UK) at 10:25am GMT (corresponding to 1:35pm Saudi Time). When dialing the
number,
and after the setup of the related call signaling, the caller (in London) will
listen to the
following recorded voice message in both languages: English and Arabic.
The number you are dialing is roaming in The United States
where the local time there is 05:25 am
To continue with this call, press (1). If not, just hung up
Q=14,1i toi 4:146
4:111 0)1
LaLbun 05:25 sib 'ALIA 4.6.411 cj.)1
11110 l .(1 ) iitiiloak
%IA JAI
Then, it is up to the caller to decide about the importance of the call, by
either:
= Pressing (1) to continue, and the callee will hear his mobile phone
ringing,
= Or, just hanging up and calling another time.
Notes:
[Same notes as for Example 1]
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Example 3:
An ARoL subscriber, with a mobile line from Saudi Telecom (STC), is in a
business trip
in Washington DC (USA). His mobile phone is switched off when receiving a
landline/mobile call from London at 10:25am GMT (corresponding to 1:35pm Saudi
Time). When dialing the number, and after the setup of the related call
signaling, the
caller (in London) will listen to the following recorded voice message in both
languages,
English and Arabic:
L The number you are calling is off; please call again later.
JA41 4.9 jLgai 0)1 a
Then, an SMS is forwarded to the called ARoL subscriber (the callee) informing
him
about an attempted call from "the caller number" at "the caller local time"
once his mobile
is switched on and attached to a visited mobile network.
Note:
= If the ARoL subscriber is either out of coverage, or his battery has gone
flat/removed, the caller will listen to the above recorded voice message, in
both
languages: English and Arabic; and an SMS is forwarded to the called ARoL
subscriber (the callee), informing him about an attempted call from "the
caller
number" at "the caller local time".
2.2 Advanced ARoL (Level 2)
With this service level (Level 2), when the caller is calling an ARoL
subscriber, travelling and
roaming in another country, the caller is informed in which country the
"callee" is and the local
time there. Then, the caller has the following choices:
= To continue with this initiated call normally.
= Or, to continue with this initiated call and assuming roaming charges.
= Or, to hung up.
The caller will be informed through a recorded voice message, which is
expected to be in two
languages: English and the country official language. The following example
(Example 4)
sketches how Advanced ARoL works.
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Example 4:
An ARoL subscriber, with a mobile line from Saudi Telecom (STC), is in a
business trip
in Washington DC (USA) in February. He is receiving a landline/mobile call
from another
Saudi Telecom (STC) customer at 1:35 pm Saudi Time. When dialing the number,
and
after the setup of the related call signaling, the caller will listen to the
following recorded
voice message in both languages, English and Arabic:
L The number you are dialing is roaming in The United States
where the local time there is 05:25 am
- To continue with this call normally, press (1)
- To continue with this call and assume roaming charges, press (2)
- Or, just hung up
iAiI (.11.9-
)5Z11-% vi4:1/41.130 4111 (h71)1
14,4 05:25 _91t) 461.146 .41%4
fj:11
(1) Jaithell cLAG 4.411.SAII alb JAI _
(2)12.L.11lj -
1a.1J.ijI -
Then, it is up to the caller to decide about the importance of the call, by:
= Pressing (1) to continue, and the callee will hear his mobile phone
ringing,
= Or, pressing (2) to continue and assuming roaming charges, and the called
ARoL
subscriber will hear his mobile phone ringing, but he is advised that he is
receiving a free call (Section 4).
= Or, just hanging up and calling another time.
Notes:
[Same notes as for Example 1]
3 ARoL Service Subscriptions
The Telco Operator ¨ providing the ARoL service ¨ may offer two types of
subscription to its
customers willing to subscribe to this service:
= Basic ARoL Subscription ¨ Where there is NO distinction between callers ¨
either
customers of the HMNO or NOT. In other words, the option of assuming roaming
charges
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is NOT offered to the caller. He is only informed about the roaming location
of the callee and
the local time of the city where he is; and accordingly, he makes the choice
to keep with his
call or to call another time (as sketched in Examples 1 & 2).
= Advanced ARoL Subscription ¨ Where there is distinction between callers ¨ if
they are
customers of the HMNO or NOT. In other words:
- If the caller is a customer of the HMNO, after being informed about the
roaming location
of the callee and the local time of the city where he is; the caller will be
offered the option
of assuming roaming charges (as sketched in Example 4).
- If the caller is NOT a customer of the HMNO, he is only informed about the
roaming
location of the callee and the local time of the city where he is; and
accordingly, the
caller makes the choice to keep with his call or to call another time.
4 ARoL Subscriber Contacts Update
Based on the type of subscription, a new Advanced ARoL subscriber is expected
to duplicate
and update his contacts (who are, basically, customers of the HMNO) in order
to detect free
roaming-charges calls, when traveling abroad.
The expected type of update is based on the "2-digit" extension that the Telco
Operator will
attach the caller MSISDN, and which will be forward it to the callee mobile
phone. Note that this
"2-digit" extension is communicated by the HMNO to its new Advanced ARoL
Subscriber. The
following example (Example 5) sketches how a new Advanced ARoL subscriber will
duplicate
and update one of his existing contacts, based on the "2-digit" extension
provided by his HMNO.
Example 5:
An ARoL subscriber, with a mobile line from line from Saudi Telecom (STC)
wants to
duplicate the contact of "Mohamed Jamoussi" stored on his mobile phone, based
on
the "2-digit" extension provided to him by Saudi Telecom and which is "99" (as
an
example). This contact will be duplicated and updated as shown on "FIG. 1".
When roaming abroad and receiving a call from "Mohamed Jamoussi" who has
chosen
to make a normal call by pressing (1), the mobile phone of the callee will
display what is
shown on "FIG. 2"; and the callee will assumed the roaming charges of this
accepted
call.
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Now, if the caller "Mohamed Jamoussi" has chosen to assume the roaming charges
for
this call by pressing (2), the mobile phone of the callee will display what is
shown on
"FIG. 3", and the callee is advised that the caller will assume the roaming
charges of this
accepted call.
ARoL Server
Though details may differ from one mobile network to another, but the overall
architecture and
5 key components are almost the same. For this ARoL service, an ARoL server
connected to the
HLR of the HMNO (or embedded) will be deployed for the voice messages related
to different
mobile networks that an ARoL subscriber could roam in across the world and
which have
roaming agreements with the HMNO (see "FIG. 4").
6 ARoL Service Process
When an ARoL subscriber is roaming internationally and is receiving a call,
the ARoL service
process is almost similar to the known roaming process. It basically involves:
= The GMSC & HLR of the HMNO, and
= The MSC & VLR of the visited network in the visited country.
6.1 ARoL Subscriber Location Identification
The first step of the ARoL service process is typically the identification
mechanism of any
roaming process. This step determines the location of a mobile phone connected
to a visited
Mobile Network and at an idle state (no active traffic).
When an ARoL subscriber, travelling abroad, switches "ON" his mobile phone (or
transferred via
a handover, which is the process in which a call/data session is transferred
from one BTS to
another without disconnection), the Visited Mobile Network ¨ detecting this
new device ¨ will
notice that it is not registered with its own system, and will identify its
HMNO. Then, both
networks (Visited and Home) will exchange roaming information about this
mobile phone using
the IMSI number and the IMSI attached procedure is executed. Of course, it is
assumed that
there is a roaming agreement between the two networks. If not, the mobile
phone will be denied
by the Visited Mobile Network.
If the Visited Mobile Network finds out that this mobile phone is allowed to
roam, then it begins
to maintain a temporary subscriber record for this device. The mobile phone is
said to be
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attached. The HLR of the HMNO passes the information to the VLR in the Visited
Network and
updates its location information for this ARoL subscriber, so that any
information sent to that
device can be correctly routed. The HLREiniNo instructs the old VLR to delete
the information it
has on this ARoL subscriber.
6.2 ARoL Service Key Steps
When a caller dials the mobile phone number of an ARoL subscriber roaming
abroad, the ARoL
service key steps are the following:
1. The caller dials the ARoL subscriber mobile phone number (MSISDNAR0L)
2. The MSISDNAROL is forwarded to the HLREimNo via the GMSCHIAN0 (see "FIG.
5"). And
because of previous updates, the HLRHmNo already knows which VLR ¨ in the
world ¨ is
serving the called ARoL subscriber.
3. The HLRHmNo will:
a. identify if the caller is a subscriber of the HMNO (as the callee). If so,
it could be either
serviced by a VLREimNo or an external VLR to the HMNO (i.e., the caller is
also roaming
domestically or internationally)
b. identify which ARoL level, the callee is subscribed to (Basic or Advanced).
c. instruct the ARoL server to deliver the corresponding message to the caller
via the
GMSCHmNo, based on the information collected in steps/sub-steps (2), (3.a) and
(3.b).
4. The ARoL server will deliver the appropriate message to the caller via the
GMSCHmNo.
5. The caller will make his choice, based on the options announced in the
voice message.
6. If the caller just hangs up, or press an unexpected digit, or does nothing,
the call is
ended and an SMS is forwarded to the called ARoL subscriber (the callee),
informing him
about an attempted call from "the caller number" at "the caller local time".
7. If the caller presses (1)¨ as an offered option, regardless of the
information collected
in sub-steps (3.a) and (3.b), the standard roaming process will take place to
carry on with
this initiated call. The VLR servicing the called ARoL subscriber will assign
an MSRN (a
temporary number). This MSRN number will be sent back to the HLRHmNo, so that
the
GMSCHmNo knows how to route the call to reach the ARoL subscriber. Note that,
broadly
speaking, the GMSCHmNo will attach the MSISDN of the caller to the provided
MSRN, so
that the ARoL subscriber identifies who is calling.
From a billing standpoint, termination billing procedure and rate are applied,
as per the
agreement between the HMNO and the caller Telco Operator.
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Notes:
= For the called ARoL subscriber:
- If he is a postpaid subscriber, once the call is ended, the billing is
made.
- If he is a prepaid subscriber, a check is made to see if he has enough
credit to
receive this call. If so, the call is continually monitored, and the
appropriate
amount is decremented from his account. When the credit reaches zero, the call
is cut off.
= For the caller (either a subscriber of the HMNO or NOT):
- If he is a postpaid subscriber, once the call is ended, the billing is made.
- If he is a prepaid subscriber, a check is made to see if he has enough
credit to
make this call. If so, the call is continually monitored, and the appropriate
amount
is decremented from his account. When the credit reaches zero, the call is cut
off.
8. If the caller presses (2) ¨ as an offered option, and based on the
information collected
in steps/sub-steps (2), (3.a) and (3.b), the standard roaming process will
take place to
carry on with this initiated call. The VLR servicing the called ARoL
subscriber will assign
an MSRN (a temporary number). This MSRN number will be sent back to the
HLREimNo, so
that the GMSCHmNo knows how to route the call to reach the ARoL subscriber.
At this stage, the GMSCHmNo will NOT attach the original MSISDN of the caller
to the
provided MSRN. Instead, the GMSCHmNo will attach the extended MSISDN of the
caller,
which is a combination of the original MSISDN and a "2-digit" extension (as
explained in
Section 4). Therefore, as per Example 5 and updated contacts, the called ARoL
subscriber will identify that he is receiving a free of charge call (as
displayed on his mobile
phone screen).
Notes:
= For the called ARoL subscriber, he is receiving the call for free ¨ as if
he is receiving
it in his home country.
= For the caller (who is a subscriber of the HMNO), he will assume the
charges of
both:
- The call made to the ARoL subscriber, as if he is in his home country.
- The call received by the ARoL subscriber in the country where he is.
On another hand, depending on the caller type of subscription:
- If he is a postpaid subscriber, once the call is ended, the billing is
made.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-30
- If he is a prepaid subscriber, a check is made to see if he has enough
credit to
make this call. If so, the call is continually monitored, and the appropriate
amount
is decremented from his account. When the credit reaches zero, the call is cut
off.
6.3 ARoL Subscriber Off
When the ARoL subscriber mobile phone is powered off, it sends an IMSI detach
message to
the network. The VLR marks that mobile phone as detached and informs the
HLRHmNo (via the
GMSCHmNo) that it is about to remove this subscriber record from its register
(VLR register). The
HLRHmNo then treats this ARoL subscriber as unreachable. Therefore, any caller
dialing this
ARoL subscriber number will be treated as sketched in Example 3.
Also, if the mobile phone is out of the area of coverage, it will miss sending
a registration
message to the network at the predefined intervals. Accordingly, the network
will mark it as
detached; and any caller dialing this mobile number will be treated as
sketched in Example 3.
7 ARoL Service Business Aspects
7.1 Drivers & Targeted Segments
The ARoL service can be offered to all business and residential, postpaid and
prepaid
customers. By offering this service, a Mobile Operator will aim to:
= Offer a service that attracts frequent travelers, interested by
substantially reducing their
international communications spending, and limiting inconvenient incoming
calls.
= Offer a service that conveys a message on behalf of the "callee" when
feeling
embarrassed to do it himself (e.g., advising the caller that he is
internationally roaming in
order to make this call as short as possible, or the time is inconvenient)
= Offer a service that conveys a message expressing some show-off desires
for certain
categories of customers
= Match "Early Services/Technologies" adopters' expectations ¨ constantly
searching for
new services/technologies.
= Increase customers' retention and loyalty
= Generate new revenues and increase ARPU
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7.2 Policies & Pricing
Basically, the overall ARoL service policies & pricing are established by the
Mobile Operator,
providing this service. Nevertheless, it is expected that:
= Service Activation/Cancellation ¨ at no fees
= Service Charges ¨ through monthly/weekly subscriptions, or based on usage
As it can be a free service for retention purposes or bundled with other
services. It is the
Operator Marketing authority which decides on the service charging rules.
8 ARoL Drawings ¨ Descriptions
FIG. 1 ¨CONTACT DUPLICATION & UPDATE
Figure 1 shows how contacts are duplicated by adding the "2-digit" extension
provided the Telco
Operator. The "2-digit" extension is manually added to the MSISDN of the
contact to be
updated.
FIG. 2¨ REGULAR DISPLAY ¨ WHEN PRESSING (1)
Figure 2 shows the regular display on the called ARoL subscriber handset, as
the caller chose
to make a regular call by pressing (1). The called ARoL subscriber is
receiving a call as if he is
in his home country ¨ but assuming the international roaming cost.
FIG. 3¨ MODIFIED DISPLAY ¨ WHEN PRESSING (2)
Figure 3 shows the modified display on the called ARoL subscriber handset, as
the caller chose
to assume all the call costs by pressing (2). Therefore, the callee is
receiving a call with NO
charge though he is roaming abroad.
FIG. 4 ¨ MAIN NETWORK COMPONENTS, INCLUDING PROPOSED ARoL SERVER
Figure 4 shows the main components of the mobile network and how the ARoL
Server is
proposed to be integrated in this network. The legend of this figure is the
following:
0 ¨ Home Network Operator
o ¨ Home Location Register (HLR)
o ¨ Proposed ARoL Server
o ¨ Gateway MSC (GMSC)
o ¨ Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
0 ¨ Visited Location Register (VLR)
00 ¨ Other Network Operators
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FIG. 5 ¨ARoL SERVICE
Figure 5 shows the main components of the mobile network and how the ARoL
Server is
proposed to be integrated in this network. The legend of this figure is the
following:
0¨ Home Mobile Network of the ARoL Subscriber
0 ¨ Home Location Register (HLR)
e_ Proposed ARoL Server
0 - Gateway MSC (GMSC)
0 ¨ Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
0 ¨ Visited Location Register (VLR)
ee ¨ Other Network Operators
0 ¨ A call to an ARoL Subscriber (On-Net, Off-Net, or International)
g - MSISDNAR0L transmitted to the GMSC
g - MSISDNAROL transmitted from GMSC to HLR
0 ¨ Country & Local time of "Visited Network" transmitted to "ARoL Server"
g - Corresponding recorder voice message transmitted to the Caller
- Caller Selection
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