Network Efficient Tariffs (NET) is an Intelligent Network based solution designed to increase operator revenue by enticing customers to make calls at times, and from locations, where there is extra capacity in the network. Customers enjoy discounted calls while operators see increased revenues. And subscribing to the operator’s NET offering can be as easy as the customer sending a USSD message.

NET assigns a tariff value to either prepay or postpay mobile originated calls and the operator’s existing prepay or postpay systems apply a discount when rating voice calls. NET assigns tariff values based on the time of day, day of week and current location of the customer who first learns of the discounts through a Cell Broadcast or by a USSD query they can make for themselves.

NET allows operators to build and monitor tariff plans based on network utilization traffic data. The operator defines rules that assign discount values based on the utilization of each cell site. The Billing System is preconfigured with all the tariff values that NET may apply and for each of these it is also preconfigured with a corresponding discount value or rate. Consequently, as discounts values are changed for different cells in the network no updates are required in the billing system.

There is much more to this powerful solution, however operators will see benefits from all of the following. NET provides a variety of relevant monitoring reports to the operator; NET is easy to implement because there is no customer database to provision; NET simplifies tariff and discount billing and provides analysis and adjustment of tariff applications based on usage patterns. Operators will see the generation of revenue in locations where, and at times when, the network is under utilized because the deployment of NET encourages customers to make calls based on attractive discounts. Network Efficient Tariffs also reduces churn because customers have a way to reduce wireless costs and adjust their usage to take advantage of discounts.