The present invention refers to a method for providing a cost-efficient Proof of Receipt (PoR) in a mobile telecommunication network. Such Proof of Receipt (PoR) can be issued upon successful Over-The-Air (OTA) provisioning of a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) mobile device or SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) , or implementing a delivery- or read receipt of an User Short Message (SMS) .

The present invention concerns a method for following-up mobile operator services using over-the-air management of data and applications on mobile subscriber's devices or SIM respectively USIM (Universal Mobile Telephony System) SIM cards, in a Home Network (HPLMN) or in a Visited Network.

Mobile Equipment (ME), i.e. mobile telephones, using the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) and 3 ^rd Genera- tion Partnership program (3GPP) as standards for digital wireless communication are called GSM-3G phones, below called mobile devices. Additional services nowadays allow a great flexibility in where and when mobile devices are used. One of the greatest service of GSM and 3GPP networks is the seamless roaming into networks other than the Home Network (HPLMN) .

The present invention also refers to other mobile communication standards such as LTE (3 ^rd Generation Partnership Long Term Evolution) .

Traditional GSM roaming is defined in GSM Association Permanent Reference Document AA.39 as the ability for a mobile subscriber to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or to have access to other services when travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the HPLMN, by means of using a visited network (VPLMN) , with the very same mobile telephone and subscriber procedures used when attaching the HPLMN.

Traditional and simplest OTA updates of the mobile device or SIM or USIM take place by using a standards-based Short Message as the bearer technology, to send OTA-information or update over a mobile network to the device or SIM. The use of Short Message Service (SMS) for carrying such data essentially works well, especially from a costs-point of view as the Mobile Terminating Short Messages are not typically accounted between the roaming partners, or charges from the subscribers .

Many OTA updates would require an acknowledgement from the device or from the SIM-card. Standards-based acknowledgement PoR (Proof-of-Receipt) concept has been specified by ETSI/3GPP for GSM 03.48 Remote File Management, to send a dedicated PoR from SIM towards the SIM-OTA platform, using a new Short Message in opposite direction, as bearer for the PoR. This PoR can be also be encrypted as per the specification 03.48, to ensure security.

The issue with using a standards-based Short Message as bearer for PoR is its generated costs, especially in international roaming scenarios when the cost of originating a Short Message abroad might be substantially high, and hence it is preventing use of PoR for OTA updates. This implies that successfulness of OTA provisioning made cannot be secured, on end-to-end level and e.g. faults in the OTA-chain cannot be identified and traced. The present invention solves this problem

The present invention refers to a method in mobile telecommunication networks deploying Over-The-Air (OTA) provisioning of a SIM or an USIM or a Mobile Equipment (ME) , in need to receive a trusted acknowledgement or Proof-of Receipt from the ME or SIM upon an OTA provisioning which is made over the existing signalling interfaces, and is characterised in, that the SIM or USIM or ME is generating a standards based USSD- command (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data) as a result of successful or unsuccessful OTA provisioning, in that the serving mobile network will be caused to route the MAP (Mobile Application Part) -USSD message over an existing, configured SS7 domain to the home network (HPLMN) and USSD Gateway entity which is caused to relay the acknowledgement to the OTA platform.

The present invention thus relates to a method where an encrypted or non-encrypted Proof-of-Receipt can be conveyed from the mobile device in a low-cost manner, back towards the Home PLMN and eventually the OTA platform that made the OTA provisioning using Short Message as bearer for the OTA. The invention uses the same SS7 SCCP signalling domain with its connectivity and routing services and standards-based MAP (Mobile Application Part) messages - all being already implemented and in place for the 3G/GSM subscribers mobility, roaming and Short Message Service.

The present invention will be described in more detail below together with exemplifying embodiments of the invention and the attached drawings, where

- Figure 1 illustrates the present invention. Figure 1 illustrates a method in a mobile telecommunication networks deploying Over-The-Air (OTA) provisioning of SIM or USIM or mobile Equipment (ME) , in need to receive a trusted acknowledgement or Proof-of Receipt (PoR) from the ME or SIM upon an OTA provisioning which is made over the existing signalling interfaces.

The PoR can for example be an acknowledgement of a successful roaming that has been carried out. It could also be a ques- tion of get a PoR after having sent a measurement value or some other information or data.

According to the present invention the SIM or USIM or ME is generating a standards based USSD-command (Unstructured sup- plementary Services Data) as a result of successful or unsuccessful OTA provisioning. The serving mobile network will be caused to route the MAP (Mobile Application Part) -USSD message over an existing, configured SS7 domain to the home network (HPLMN) and USSD Gateway entity which is caused to relay the acknowledgement to the OTA platform.

In Figure 1 reference numeral 1 designates a SMS-C (Short message Service centre) , numeral 2 designates an OTA platform, 3 designates a users mobile device, 4 designates an- other users mobile device or a stationary mounted device capable of communicating over the mobile telecommunication network, 5 designates a trusted USSD-GateWay and reference numeral 6 designates a SS7 Signalling domain.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the USSD-acknowledgement is caused to be sent back by the ME, upon successful reception, or upon selection and successful read of an ordinary message to the mobile subscriber or user. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention the sending conditions for sending or not sending said acknowledgement is pre-configured in the ME or SIM or USIM.

Alternatively it is preferred that the sending conditions for sending or not sending said acknowledgement is caused to come as a part of the actual message content on the OTA-protocol level, or as part message on the bearer message protocol level.

According to still another preferred embodiment the message from an OTA-Platform or a users ME for provisioning of a SIM or an USIM or a Mobile Equipment (ME) is a Short Message (SM) .

In Figure 1 the present invention is exemplified step by step .

The reference numerals designating arrows are underlined and refers to the order according to which the present method works .

The first step is that an OTA-Platform or a subscriber with a mobile device sends _la_ ^a data message respectively Lb a mes- sage to a recipient via a SMS-C 1. The second step is that the SMS-C transfers a Short Message (SM) 2, 3 over a SS7 Signalling domain 6 to a receiving subscribers mobile device 4. The receiving mobile device 4 or its SIM generates a PoR in the form of a standards based USSD-command and transfers 4, 5, in a third step, the generated PoR over the SS/ Signalling domain to a USSD-GW 5. The trusted USSD-GW 5 transfers the PoR to _6a_ said SMS-C 1 or alternatively to _6b_ the said OTA-Platform. In this way, for example, a successful OTA-provisioning of roaming parameters in a roaming situation can be confirmed, irrespectively of a long or short chain of trusted or non trusted SS7 SCCP carriers between the HPLMN and VPLMN.

Since the SIM or USIM or ME is generating a standards based USSD-command (MAP-USSD message being not accounted) as, for example, a result of successful or unsuccessful OTA provisioning the cost will be kept low, which solves the initially mentioned problem.

The present invention shall not be considered to be limited to the afore described embodiments, since variations can be made within the scope of the accompanying claims.