Network and Device Solution on Sponsored Data Application

1. A method comprising: receiving, by at least one server through a wireless packet data communication network, a request from a user equipment (UE) to attach to the wireless packet data communication network; determining, by the at least one server, whether the UE is associated with an enterprise identified by a service provider of the wireless packet data communication network as a sponsor of a data service through the wireless packet data communication network, based on an account of the UE stored on the at least one server; upon determining that the UE is associated with the enterprise, sending a notification message from the at least one server to the UE through an information element field within an existing message in a bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, the notification message indicating a subscription status of the UE; and responsive to the subscription status in the notification message, configuring the UE to control access to the wireless packet data communication network, to permit access to the data service associated with the enterprise regardless of an ability of the UE to access data services not associated with the enterprise.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information element field is a protocol configuration option (PCO), the notification message being sent in at least one of field of the PCO.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account of the UE is not billed for usage of the data service associated with the enterprise.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the determining of whether the UE is associated with the enterprise includes determining that the UE is not associated with a service provider account of another data service, the subscription status indicates that the UE is not associated with the other data service, and the UE, responsive to the subscription status in the notification message, restricts access to the other data service.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the notification message to the UE comprises instructions to provide an indication on a user interface of the UE that the UE is restricted from access to the other data service.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the notification message to the UE comprises instructions to provide at least one option on a user interface of the UE to purchase the service provider account, to access the other data service of the service provider account.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the instructions instruct the UE to redirect the UE to a web site of the service provider where the at least one option is provided.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: receiving, by the at least one server, an indication of purchase of the service provider account by the user of the UE; sending a further notification message from the at least one server to the UE in the bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, responsive to the purchase indication, the further notification message indicating an updated subscription status of the UE; and responsive to the updated subscription status in the further notification message, configuring the UE to permit access, over the wireless packet data communication network, to the other data service of the service provider account.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with another data service of a service provider account, the method further comprising: comparing, on the at least one server, a data usage of the other data service of the service provider account to a data usage criterion; upon determining, based on the comparing, that the data usage has met the data usage criterion, sending a data usage notification message from the at least one server to the UE in the bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network; and responsive to the data usage notification message, configuring the UE to restrict access to the other data service of the service provider account.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data usage notification message to the UE comprises instructions to provide at least one option on a user interface of the UE to at least one of replenish the account or update the account.

11. User equipment, comprising: a wireless mobile transceiver; at least one user interface element configured to receive a user input and to provide information output to a user; a processor; a memory accessible to the processor; and programming in the memory, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the user equipment to perform functions, including functions to: send, via the wireless mobile transceiver to at least one server through a wireless packet data communication network, a request to attach to the wireless packet data communication network, the user equipment associated with an enterprise identified by a service provider of the wireless packet data communication network as a sponsor of a data service through the wireless packet data communication network, receive, via the wireless transceiver, a notification message from the at least one server to the user equipment through an information element field within an existing message in a bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, the notification message indicating a subscription status of the user equipment, identify, by the processor, the subscription status in the received notification message, and responsive to the identified subscription status, configure the user equipment to control access to the wireless packet data communication network, to permit access to the data service associated with the enterprise regardless of an ability of the user equipment to access data services not associated with the enterprise, the user equipment configured to restrict access to another data service not associated with the sponsored data service when the user equipment is not associated with a service provider account of the other data service.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the information element field is a protocol configuration option (PCO), the notification message being sent in at least one of field of the PCO.

13. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the notification message to the user equipment comprises instructions, the user equipment being configured, responsive to the instructions, to provide an indication on the at least one user interface element that the user equipment is restricted from access to the other data service, when the user equipment is not associated with the service provider account of the other data service.

14. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the notification message to the user equipment comprises instructions, the user equipment being configured, responsive to the instructions, to provide at least one option on the at least one user interface element to purchase the service provider account, when the user equipment is not associated with the service provider account of the other data service.

15. The user equipment of claim 14 , wherein the instructions instruct the user equipment to redirect the user equipment to a web site of the service provider where the at least one option is provided.

16. The user equipment of claim 14 , wherein the functions further include functions to: receive, via the wireless transceiver, a further notification message from the at least one server in the bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, responsive to purchase of the service provider account by the user of the user equipment, the further notification message indicating an updated subscription status of the user equipment, identify, by the processor, the updated subscription status in the received further notification message, and responsive to the identified updated subscription status, configure the user equipment to permit access, over the wireless packet data communication network, to the other data service associated with the service provider account.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions in at least one storage device executable by one or more servers in a wireless packet data communication network to cause the one or more servers to perform functions, including functions to: receive, by the one or more servers through the wireless packet data communication network, a request from a user equipment (UE) to attach to the wireless packet data communication network; determine, by the one or more servers, whether the UE is associated with an enterprise identified by a service provider of the wireless packet data communication network as a sponsor of a data service through the wireless packet data communication network, based on an account of the UE stored on the one or more servers; and upon determining that the UE is associated with the enterprise, send a notification message from the one or more servers to the UE through an information element field within an existing message in a bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, the notification message indicating a subscription status of the UE, wherein the UE controls access to the wireless packet data communication network responsive to the subscription status in the notification message, such that access to the data service associated with the enterprise is permitted regardless of an ability of the UE to access data services not associated with the enterprise, access to another data service not associated with the sponsored data service being restricted when the UE is not associated with a service provider account of the other data service.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the notification message to the UE comprises instructions, the instructions including at least one of providing an indication on a user interface of the UE that the UE is restricted from access to the other data service or providing at least one option on the user interface to purchase the service provider account including the other data service, when the UE is not associated with the service provider account of the other data service.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein, when the UE is not associated with the service provider account of the other data service, the functions further include functions to: identify, by the one or more servers, a change in the subscription status of the UE, the change in the subscription status indicating purchase, by a user of the UE, of the service provider account including the other data service; and send a further notification message from the one or more servers to the UE in the bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, responsive to the change in the subscription status, the further notification message indicating the changed subscription status of the UE, wherein the UE permits access to the other data service associated with the service provider account, responsive to the changed subscription status in the further notification message.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein, when the UE is associated with the service provider account of the other data service, the functions further include functions to: compare, on the one or more servers, a data usage of the other data service associated with the service provider account to a data usage criterion; and upon determining, based on the comparing, that the data usage has met the data usage criterion, send a data usage notification message from the one or more servers to the UE in the bearer channel of the wireless packet data communication network, wherein the UE restricts access to the other data service associated with the service provider account, responsive to the data usage notification message.