Radius Billing

Is billing method used by internet service providers (ISPs), telecom companies, or network services that utilize the RADIUS protocol — which stands for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. It’s a networking protocol used to manage authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) for users who connect to a network.

Authentication – Verifies the identity of a user trying to access a network (e.g., via dial-up, VPN, Wi-Fi hotspot).

Authorization– Determines what services or resources the user is allowed to access.

Accounting – Tracks the usage data (session time, bandwidth used, etc.), which is the part most relevant to billing.

How RADIUS Billing Works:

  • 1A user connects to a network (e.g., logs into a Wi-Fi hotspot).
  • 2The RADIUS server authenticates the user and logs session details (start time, stop time, data consumed, etc.).
  • 3These logs are used for billing purposes, either:
  • 4Per session (e.g., $0.10 per minute),
  • 5Per data usage (e.g., $0.05 per MB), or
  • 6Flat-rate plans with tracking for overages or policy enforcement.