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| Field(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Subscriber's information | Allow to identify the subscriber responsible for the usage. The fields depend on the network's specification, but normally one can expect ICC, IMSI or the A-Number to be there. |
| Event Date | Date and time when the event began. |
| B-Number | The number receiving the phone call, message. This applies only to certain types of usage. |
| Duration | The duration of the phone call or the amount of data. This applies only to certain types of usage and some network may define two separate fields: one for phone calls and one for data sessions. |
| Event Type | Network's defined fields that specify exactly the type of usage; e.g. national call to a fixedline number, premium SMS, roaming call, etc. |
| Cost Price | The price of the usage as determined by the network. |
| Rating code, rating key | Determined by mediation |
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2: Find the Rate Plan
This step is aimed at finding the subscriber and his/her rate plan.
Step 2 - Find the Rate Plan
The IMSI/ICC/Anumber is picked up from the billing record and is used for finding the subscriber and the associated rate plan. From the information in the billing record, the corresponding subscription is found. From the subscription, the rate plan could be identified. Within customer care, the rate plan relating to a subscription could be seen on the subscription details tab.
The rate plan could be seen in the *Product Configuration.* In the screenshot below, the rate plan is 'Fixedline'.
Step 3 - Find the Number Plan
When the rate plan is found, the rating process will look into the tele rates and find the number plan linked to the service code within the tele rates. The rating process uses the rating code from the billing record to find the service code and therefore the number plan. In order to examine the number plan, select the relevant rate plan and then click Edit. This will open up the 'Edit Rate Plan' popup. Select the 'Service Code' under 'Tele Rates' to see the associated number plan in the 'Number Plan' panel.
In the screenshot below, the rate plan 'Fixedline' has the service code 'NATIONAL CALL', and the number plan associated with this service code is 'Mobile National'. The rating process will compare the event/charge date present within the billing record with the from and to dates listed in the number plan configuration.
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Subscriber's info available in the billing record is used in tables like:
- service
- simcard
- a_number
Eventually the corresponding subscription record is found and from that the process goes into billing_group_member:
| Field(s) | Description |
|---|---|
subscription_id | Matched against subscription.id. |
from_date, to_date | Matched against the event date on the billing record. The configuration that is valid when the event began is the only one considered. |
rate_plan_id | This points to the rate plan that will be used by the following steps. |
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
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For investigation purposes, operators can use IMSI/ICC information of the billing record to find the subscribers vie the advanced search. The rate plan is displayed in the subscription details. |
3: Find the Number Plan
Once the rate plan is known, its tele rates configuration is matched against the billing record's rating code. The rate plan's tele rates configuration is where every possible rating code is assigned to a number plan. This assignment is valid on a specified range of dates; again, the billing record's event date is used to find the number plan attached to a rating code.
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
The tele rates configuration of a rate plan can be analyzed by selecting the rate plan in the Product Configuration GUI and clicking the Edit button. This will open up the Edit Rate Plan popup. Select the rating code on the table on the left (Tele Rates frame, Service Code column). The associated number plan is displayed on the right (Number Plans frame). The columns From Date and To Date specify whether the link between a rating code and a number plan has restrictions on time. |
Example
In the screenshot below, the tele rates configuration of rate plan Fixedline. The rating code NATIONAL CALL is linked to the number plan Mobile National without date restrictions.
4: Execute the B-number Method
After finding the associated number plan, the rating plan moves on to the number plan and looks at the configured b-number method. Keep in mind that the type of b-number method depends on the configuration of the customer. It could be getRatingKey or could also be getBNumber method. If it is getRatingKey, then the rating process will look at the rating key given in the billing record and compare it with the configured plan elements. If it is the getBNumber method, then the rating process will pick up the b-number from the billing record and compare it with the available plan elements.
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