1. A method performed by a network system communicatively coupled to an end-user device over a wireless access network, the method comprising: transmitting a first traffic flow to, or receiving the first traffic flow from, a first software application on the end-user device, the first traffic flow comprising a first set of one or more related data transfers over the wireless access network, the first traffic flow being routed between the first software application on the end-user device and the network system through one or more assisting elements, the one or more assisting elements comprising a control application on the end-user device or a proxy agent on the end-user device, wherein the first traffic flow has a characteristic associating the first traffic flow with the first software application, the characteristic preserving the association between the first traffic flow and the first software application when the first traffic flow is routed by the one or more assisting elements; identifying the characteristic; and implementing at least a portion of one or more service policies based on the identified characteristic, the one or more service policies at least for (i) controlling usage of the wireless access network by the end-user device, (ii) accounting for usage of the wireless access network associated with the end-user device, (iii) providing a notification to the end-user device about the usage of the wireless access network associated with the end-user device, or (iv) a combination of these.