Abstract: A mobile switching center is configured with software instructions which allow it to continue to provide at least limited call termination and call origination services for mobile terminals in the event of a failure of a signaling link between the mobile switching center and a home location register and/or a signal control point (SCP) in an intelligent network. For pre-paid callers originating or terminating a call, the mobile switching center marks a call detail record as indicating that the call is a post-paid call. The call detail record is later provided to the SCP after the signaling link has been restored in order to bill the mobile terminal. In one example, the signaling link between the mobile switching center and the home location register or SCP may be a satellite link, which may go down for various reasons such as for maintenances, an unexpected failure, or the orbit of the satellite goes outside the field of reception of an antenna in the signal path.

Abstract: A home location register provides a mobile switching center with information grouping mobile devices in particular groups, such groups identifying which feature codes mobile device are allowed to access. The mobile switching center stores such information in memory, e.g., in the form of a table containing grouping information for all currently registered mobile devices. When a mobile switching center receives a feature request from a mobile device in which the mobile device requests a feature that they are not authorized for, the mobile switching center denies the request, and does not exchange FEATREQ messages with the home location register. This technique frees up computing resources at the mobile switching center and the home location register and reduces the amount of IS-41 MAP signaling messages exchanged between the two entities.