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Worked Example: Mobile 4G B2C

Worked Example: Mobile 4G B2C — "4G Essential Plus"

This is the third of five technology-specific worked examples in Module 3 (Sections 3.6–3.10), each showing how COM, SOM, and ROM handle a different product and technology domain. Where Sections 3.6 and 3.7 traced fixed broadband orders (B2C and B2B respectively), this section moves into the mobile domain — following a 4G postpaid order through the full COM → SOM → ROM chain. The focus here is on the order lifecycle and orchestration flow: how a single mobile product order decomposes into service order items and resource order items, what the dependency chain looks like, and how number portability introduces a unique scheduling constraint. This section deliberately abstracts the southbound activation protocols (Diameter, MAP/SS7, OTA) — Section 3.11 and Module 4 Section 4.6 cover the activation-layer detail using the same persona.

Mobile 4G B2C activation — SOM orchestrates through ROM to provision HSS, PCRF, OTA, HLR/IN, MNP, and voicemail

Cross-Reference: Module 4 Section 4.6

Module 4 uses the same Priya Sharma persona and walks through the activation-layer detail: Diameter S6a exchanges with the HSS, Diameter Gx policy installation on the PCRF, SIM OTA personalisation, MAP/SS7 operations for HLR/IN supplementary services, and the MNP clearinghouse protocol. This section focuses on the order management chain — COM decomposition, SOM orchestration planning, ROM resource allocation — and treats each activation target as a "ROM adapter call" without diving into the protocol specifics.

The Scenario

Customer Scenario

Customer: Priya Sharma, walking into a retail store and porting her number from a competitor. She is purchasing a Samsung Galaxy A54 outright (not on a device payment plan) and taking a new physical SIM (triple-cut UICC). Her existing mobile number is 0412 345 678, currently active with Competitor X. Priya wants to keep this number — so the order includes a number port-in request. The plan is "4G Essential Plus": 10 GB data, unlimited national calls and SMS, visual voicemail included, 12-month contract at $49/month.

Order Summary

Attribute	Value
Customer	Priya Sharma (CUST-9244)
Account	ACC-9244 (new postpaid)
Product Offering	4G Essential Plus (PO-4GEP-01)
Product Specification	Mobile Postpaid Access (PS-MPA-01)
MSISDN	0412 345 678 (port-in)
IMSI	505011234567890 (new SIM)
Device	Samsung Galaxy A54 (purchased outright)
SIM	Physical UICC (triple-cut)
Data Allowance	10 GB
Calls/SMS	Unlimited national
Voicemail	Visual voicemail included
Port-In	Yes, from Competitor X
Contract	12 months, $49/month
Channel	Retail PoS

Step 1: Retail Order Capture and Submission

Retail PoS Processing

Customer Identification

Retail PoS → CRM

Retail agent scans Priya's ID. System checks for existing customer record — none found. New customer created (CUST-9244) with new postpaid account (ACC-9244).

Plan Selection & Device

Retail PoS → Product Catalog

Agent selects "4G Essential Plus" from catalog. Priya chooses Samsung Galaxy A54 (outright purchase, not on plan). SIM allocated from store stock: ICCID 8961050112345678901.

Port-In Request

Retail PoS → NP Eligibility

Agent enters Priya's existing number (0412 345 678) and current operator. System validates number format and submits port-in eligibility check. Port-in eligible — no outstanding contract with donor.

Identity Verification

Retail PoS → Identity Service

Regulatory requirement: 100-point ID check completed (passport + drivers licence). Identity verified and linked to new account.

Order Submitted to COM

Retail PoS → COM (TMF622)

PoS submits TMF622 POST /productOrder to COM with: plan, device, SIM ICCID, port-in request, customer/account refs.

TMF622 — Mobile Product Order Created

COM assigns order ID: PO-2024-02156. State: "acknowledged". Contains 1 Product Order Item (POI-001) with action "add" referencing PO-4GEP-01, characteristics: msisdn=0412345678, imsi=505011234567890, iccid=8961050112345678901, portIn=true, donorOperator=CompetitorX.

Step 2: COM Validation and Decomposition

COM Processing Steps

Catalog Validation

COM → Product Catalog

COM validates: PO-4GEP-01 is active, all mandatory characteristics provided, SIM ICCID format valid.

Credit Check

COM → Credit Engine

New customer, no existing history. COM applies standard postpaid credit policy: $49/month plan qualifies without deposit.

Number Portability Validation

COM → NP Database

COM validates port-in request with industry NP database. Confirmed: number is portable, donor identified, no porting blocks.

Product-to-CFS Decomposition

COM → Service Catalog

COM reads PS-MPA-01 and determines CFS types: CFS:Mobile-Data (mandatory), CFS:Voice (unlimited calls), CFS:SMS (unlimited SMS), CFS:Voicemail (included). Port-in handled as cross-cutting concern attached to CFS:Mobile-Data.

Service Order Created

COM → SOM (TMF641)

COM creates TMF641 Service Order SO-2024-05412 with 4 SOIs and submits to SOM.

COM Decomposition: Service Order Items

SOI ID	CFS Type	Action	Key Characteristics
SOI-001	CFS:Mobile-Data	add	dataAllowance=10GB, technology=4G-LTE, portIn=true, msisdn=0412345678
SOI-002	CFS:Voice	add	callType=unlimited-national, supplementary=CFU+CFB+CFNR+CW+CLIP
SOI-003	CFS:SMS	add	smsType=unlimited-national
SOI-004	CFS:Voicemail	add	type=visual, greeting=default

Step 3: SOM Orchestration and CFS → RFS Decomposition

SOM receives SO-2024-05412 and begins orchestration. Its first task is to decompose each CFS-level service order item into RFS-level items using the service catalog. Mobile differs from fixed broadband in a critical way: multiple CFS items map to the same underlying network element (HSS), and one CFS (SMS) produces no separate RFS at all — its activation is a characteristic within the HSS subscriber profile.

CFS:Mobile-Data with technology=4G-LTE and dataAllowance=10GB decomposes into three RFS items:

ROI ID	RFS Type	Action	Key Characteristics
ROI-001	RFS:HSS-Subscriber-Profile	add	imsi=505011234567890, msisdn=0412345678, authVectors=Milenage, defaultAPN=internet
ROI-002	RFS:PCRF-Policy	add	dataQuota=10GB, fupSpeed=1Mbps, qci=9
ROI-003	RFS:SIM-Activation	add	iccid=8961050112345678901, otaProfile=postpaid-4g

SMS Is Not a Separate RFS

In most 4G implementations, SMS capability is a flag within the HSS subscriber profile (SMS-over-SGs or SMS-over-NAS). SOM does not generate a separate RFS for SMS — it is a characteristic carried on ROI-001 (HSS Subscriber Profile). The CFS:SMS exists at the commercial level for pricing/billing separation, not for separate network activation.

SOM Orchestration Plan

Orchestration Plan: Dependencies

Task	Depends On	Reason
ROI-001: HSS Subscriber Profile	(none — starts first)	HSS must exist before PCRF can bind policy
ROI-002: PCRF Policy	ROI-001 (HSS)	Policy references IMSI/APN created in HSS
ROI-003: SIM Activation	ROI-001 (HSS)	OTA push requires subscriber to exist in HSS
ROI-004: HLR/IN Profile	ROI-001 (HSS)	Supplementary services reference MSISDN in HSS
ROI-005: Voicemail Profile	ROI-004 (HLR/IN)	Voicemail forward-on-no-answer requires CFNRy in HLR
ROI-006: Number Portability	ROI-001 (HSS)	Port executes after subscriber is fully provisioned

MNP Has a Scheduled Execution Window

Unlike all other ROIs which execute immediately, ROI-006 (Number Portability) is scheduled for a specific date/time per industry porting rules (typically next business day at a fixed time). SOM must hold the overall service order in a "partiallyCompleted" state until the port window executes. The customer can use the service with a temporary number before port-in completes.

Step 4: ROM Resource Allocation and Activation

ROM Activation Sequence

ROI-001: HSS Subscriber Provisioning

ROM → HSS (Diameter S6a)

ROM's HSS adapter provisions subscriber profile: IMSI, MSISDN, authentication triplets, default APN, subscribed RAT types (E-UTRAN). HSS confirms subscriber created.

ROI-002: PCRF Policy Installation

ROM → PCRF (Diameter Gx)

ROM's PCRF adapter installs QoS policy: 10GB monthly data cap, 1Mbps fair-use throttle, QCI 9 default bearer. Policy bound to IMSI/APN.

ROI-003: SIM OTA Activation

ROM → OTA Platform

ROM's SIM adapter triggers OTA platform to send personalisation to SIM (ICCID): operator applets, STK menu, branding. Completes on first network attach.

ROI-004: HLR/IN Voice Services

ROM → HLR/IN (MAP/SS7)

ROM's HLR adapter provisions supplementary services: CFU, CFB, CFNR (forward to voicemail), CW, CLIP/CLIR. MAP operations over SS7.

ROI-005: Voicemail Provisioning

ROM → Voicemail Platform

ROM's voicemail adapter creates mailbox with visual voicemail capability. Default greeting, auto-generated PIN. Forward-on-no-answer linked to HLR CFNRy number.

ROI-006: Number Port Execution (Scheduled)

ROM → NP Clearinghouse

ROM's MNP adapter submits port request to NP Clearinghouse. Scheduled for next business day 10:00 AM. At port window, clearinghouse switches routing — Priya's number becomes active on new network.

Resource Allocation Summary

RFS	Resource	Type	Value
HSS-Subscriber	IMSI Record	Logical	505011234567890
HSS-Subscriber	MSISDN Binding	Logical	0412 345 678
PCRF-Policy	QoS Policy	Logical	POL-4GEP-10GB
SIM-Activation	SIM Profile	Physical	ICCID 8961050112345678901
HLR-IN-Profile	Supplementary Services	Logical	CFU+CFB+CFNR+CW+CLIP
Voicemail	Mailbox	Logical	VM-9244
Number-Port	MNP Request	Logical	NP-REQ-2024-87654

Step 5: Activation and Completion Cascade

Completion Cascade

ROM Completes Immediate ROIs

ROM → SOM (TMF652 Events)

ROIs 001-005 complete within minutes. ROM publishes completion events. ROI-006 (MNP) remains pending — scheduled for next business day.

SOM Evaluates Partial Completion

SOM

SOM recognises all non-MNP ROIs are done. Subscriber can use the service with a temporary number. SOM marks SOIs as "partiallyCompleted".

Customer Walks Out with Working Service

Network

Priya inserts SIM, phone attaches to 4G network. Data, calls (to/from temp number), SMS, voicemail all working. Port-in pending.

MNP Executes at Scheduled Window

NP Clearinghouse → ROM

Next business day 10:00 AM: NP Clearinghouse switches routing. Priya's original number (0412 345 678) now routes to new network. ROM marks ROI-006 complete.

SOM Completes Service Order

SOM → TMF638

All ROIs now complete. SOM marks all SOIs and SO-2024-05412 as "completed". Service inventory updated.

COM Completes Product Order

COM → TMF637 → Billing

COM marks PO-2024-02156 as "completed". Product instance created. Billing cycle starts. Customer notified: "Your number has been ported successfully."

Order Timeline

End-to-End Timeline

Time	Event	System	State
T+0	Priya visits retail store	Retail PoS	Customer identified
T+10 min	Order submitted to COM	PoS → COM	PO: acknowledged
T+11 min	COM validates and decomposes	COM → SOM	PO: inProgress
T+12 min	SOM builds orchestration plan	SOM	SO: inProgress
T+13 min	HSS subscriber provisioned (ROI-001)	ROM → HSS	ROI-001: completed
T+14 min	PCRF policy installed (ROI-002)	ROM → PCRF	ROI-002: completed
T+14 min	SIM OTA triggered (ROI-003)	ROM → OTA	ROI-003: completed (pending first attach)
T+15 min	HLR/IN services provisioned (ROI-004)	ROM → HLR	ROI-004: completed
T+16 min	Voicemail created (ROI-005)	ROM → VM	ROI-005: completed
T+16 min	MNP request submitted (ROI-006)	ROM → NP Hub	ROI-006: pending (scheduled)
T+20 min	Priya leaves store — service active (temp number)	Network	Subscriber active
T+18 hrs	MNP executes at scheduled window	NP Clearinghouse	ROI-006: completed
T+18 hrs	SO and PO completed	SOM → COM	PO: completed
T+18 hrs	Customer notified — port complete	Notification	Number ported

What-If Scenarios

Mobile orders introduce failure modes and change scenarios that differ from fixed broadband. Here are three common mobile-specific scenarios and how the order management system handles them:

Scenario: Donor operator rejects the port request because Priya has an outstanding contract.

ROM marks ROI-006 as "failed" with reason: "port rejected — outstanding contract with donor"
SOM marks the MNP-related order item as failed but does not fail the entire service order
Customer is notified: "Your number port has been rejected. Please resolve the outstanding contract with your previous operator."
Service continues on the temporary number — data, calls, SMS, voicemail all remain active
When Priya resolves the issue with the donor, she contacts customer care to re-initiate the port request
Customer care creates a new modify order targeting the existing service — only the MNP ROI is re-submitted
The second port attempt follows the same scheduled execution window process

Complete Entity Map

Here is the complete set of entities created across all systems for this mobile 4G B2C order. Compared to broadband B2C (Section 3.6), the mobile order has fewer CFS items (4 vs 5) but introduces unique mobile-specific resources (HSS, PCRF, HLR/IN, SIM, MNP) and the scheduling complexity of number portability:

Entities Created by This Order

Entity	System of Record	System of Engagement	System of Reference	Notes
Product Order PO-2024-02156	COM	Retail PoS	—	1 POI (add 4G Essential Plus)
Service Order SO-2024-05412	SOM	COM	—	4 SOIs (Data, Voice, SMS, Voicemail)
Resource Order RO-2024-11023	ROM	SOM	—	6 ROIs (HSS, PCRF, SIM, HLR, VM, MNP)
Product Instance PI-4GEP-9244	Product Inventory	COM	—	4G Essential Plus for Priya Sharma
Service Instance SI-DATA-9244	Service Inventory	SOM	—	CFS: Mobile Data (Active, 10GB)
Service Instance SI-VOICE-9244	Service Inventory	SOM	—	CFS: Voice (Active, Unlimited)
Service Instance SI-SMS-9244	Service Inventory	SOM	—	CFS: SMS (Active, Unlimited)
Service Instance SI-VM-9244	Service Inventory	SOM	—	CFS: Voicemail (Active, Visual)
Resource: HSS Record	Resource Inventory	ROM	—	Logical — IMSI 505011234567890
Resource: SIM ICCID	Resource Inventory	ROM	—	Physical — 8961050112345678901
Resource: MNP Record	Resource Inventory	ROM	—	Logical — port complete

Section 3.8 Key Takeaways

A single mobile postpaid order decomposes into 4 service order items and 6 resource order items — simpler than broadband in CFS count but with unique mobile complexities
HSS provisioning is the critical first step — all other mobile ROIs depend on the subscriber existing in HSS
SMS is not a separate RFS activation — it is a flag within the HSS subscriber profile, demonstrating that CFS-to-RFS mapping is not always 1:1
Number portability introduces a scheduled execution window that forces SOM to handle partial completion states
The customer gets a working service immediately (within minutes) even though the full order completes hours later (after MNP window)
Mobile activation is fast (minutes for core provisioning) compared to fixed broadband (hours/days for physical access) — the bottleneck is MNP scheduling, not technology
The same Priya Sharma scenario continues in Module 4 Section 4.6, which dives deep into the Diameter/SS7/OTA activation protocols that this section abstracts as "ROM adapter calls"
A 4G-to-5G upgrade is the most complex mobile MACD — requiring technology migration across HSS→UDM and PCRF→PCF