Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system that involves establishing a communication between a wireless device and a base station notwithstanding, and in response to, a determination that the wireless device is threshold far away from the base station. When the base station or its supporting network infrastructure determines that the device is threshold far away from the base station, the base station will simultaneously establish the communication via the base station and at least one other base station. Once adequate communication then occurs through the other base station, the first base station will be dropped from the communication, allowing the communication to proceed though the other base station.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may receive indications from a wireless communication device (WCD). The RAN may support wireless communication via a plurality of non-overlapping frequency bands, and the plurality of non-overlapping frequency bands may include a low-frequency band and a high-frequency band. The low-frequency band and the high-frequency band may be separated by at least 5 megahertz. The indications may indicate signal strengths at which the WCD received signals from one or more frequencies in the low-frequency band and one or more frequencies the high-frequency band. The RAN may also receive a communication request from the WCD. Based at least in part on receiving the communication request, the RAN may select a frequency from the one or more frequencies in the low-frequency band and the one or more frequencies in the high-frequency band, and may instruct the WCD to communicate using the selected frequency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for determining the location of a mobile station with greater accuracy than serving base station location and yet preferably without the consumption of network resources typical of satellite-based location determination. The method is applicable in a scenario where a mobile station is ping-ponging (or has just been ping-ponging) between two non-coterminous wireless coverage areas. According the method, in that scenario, the location of the mobile station will be approximated conveniently as the location of overlap between the two wireless coverage areas, since it is most likely that the mobile station resides in that overlap area.

Abstract: Methods and systems for modifying a preferred roaming list (PRL) of a subscriber user equipment (UE) are provided. In a wireless communication system, a first wireless service provider is associated with a first radio access network (RAN) and maintains a subscriber account associated with a given UE. When the first RAN receives a registration request from the UE, the first RAN responsively (i) attempts to authenticate the UE, and (ii) upon a failure to authenticate the UE, the first RAN updates the PRL to then list a second RAN associated with a second wireless service provider as the highest priority network in the PRL.

Abstract: In systems and method of determining a reordering timer in a wireless communication network, when it is determined that a packet reordering of a plurality of data packets meets a reordering threshold, a handover probability that the wireless device will be handed over to a second access node is estimated based on a first congestion metric of the first access node and a second congestion metric of the second access node. The plurality of data packets is examined to determine application requirements of an application of the wireless device. Based on the handover probability, the application requirements and the second congestion metric, a reordering timer is determined for use by the second access node.

Abstract: A method and system for providing connections from a wireless access point. The wireless access point has multiple VPN tunnels. The access point detects a wireless-network identifier (such as a service set identifier (SSID)) provided by a terminal via an air interface, and the access point uses the wireless-network identifier as a basis to select one of the VPN tunnels. The access point then sends communication from the terminal via the selected VPN tunnel.

Abstract: A system and method of paging a wireless device in a communication network is provided. A paging request from a first network for a first wireless device can be received at a paging node in communication with a first network and a second network. A paging message for the first wireless device can be generated at the paging node based on the paging request. The paging message can further comprise an identifier of the first network. The paging message can be broadcast to a plurality of wireless device, the plurality of wireless devices comprising the first wireless device and at least one second wireless device associated with the second network. A paging response can be received from the first wireless device based on the paging message.

Abstract: A gateway may establish connectivity between a user equipment device (UE) and a network at a Quality of Service (QOS) indicated in a policy profile of the UE. Thereafter, the gateway may receive information indicating a change to the QOS and may transmit the information for receipt by the UE. If the gateway fails to receive an acceptance response from the UE, the gateway may then determine whether to update the QOS in the policy profile of the UE. On one hand, the gateway may update the QOS in the policy profile if the change to the QOS is a downgrade. On the other hand, the gateway may keep the QOS in the policy profile unchanged if the change to the QOS is an upgrade. The gateway may then enforce the QOS of the connectivity based on the policy profile of the UE.

Abstract: Synchronization information and access node identification information are transmitted from a first access node and a second access node. It is determined that loading information of the first access node meets a first loading criteria and loading information of the second access node meets a second loading criteria. A message is transmitted from the first access node comprising the determination that the loading information of the first access node meets the first loading criteria and the loading information of the second access node meets the second loading criteria. The wireless device then determines the second access node identification based on the message and on the synchronization information. An access request is received at the second access node to initiate a communication session between a wireless device and the second access node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting channel elements in a wireless communication system based on their performance history. Data is collected indicating the performance of various channel elements over time, preferably eliminating from consideration any performance degradation due to air interface (e.g., radio frequency) issues. The data is then used to sort the channel elements in a priority order, from best-performing to worst-performing. When a channel element is to be selected for use in connection with an air interface channel (e.g., traffic channel or control channel), the channel element is then selected in accordance with the priority order, such as by selecting the channel element that has performed best over time. The priority-based selection of channel elements can thus leave poor-performing channel elements for use as a last resort, which can be advantageous in times of heavy network loading for instance.

Abstract: A first throughput value is determined comprising a first total amount of data transmitted in non-final data packets from a sending network element to a wireless device and a second total amount of data in final data packets transmitted to the wireless device during a time period. A second throughput value is determined comprising the first total amount of data transmitted in non-final data packets to the wireless device during the time period less an idle time of a wireless communication link between an access node and the wireless device during the time period and less a total time to deliver the final data packets. A difference of the first throughput value and the second throughput value is calculated, and a traffic management procedure is performed when the difference of the first throughput value and the second throughput value meets a throughput threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding apparatus for enhanced scheduling of resources based on use of carrier aggregation. The method involves determining that (i) an individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and (ii) a processor load of the base station is greater than a threshold load. The method then involves, responsive to the determining that the individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and that the processor load of the base station is greater than the threshold load, causing the base station to allocate an extent of resources to the individual UE without using FSS.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and system for parsing a coverage area identifier. An example method is operable in a wireless communication system having a base station and a wireless communication device (WCD), the base station radiating to define multiple coverage areas in which the WCD can operate. The method involves: the WCD operating within one of the multiple coverage areas; the WCD receiving from the base station a coverage area identifier of the coverage area in which the WCD operated; the WCD determining a group to which the base station belongs; the WCD using the determined group as a basis to select a parsing technique from multiple parsing techniques; and the WCD using the selected parsing technique to parse the received coverage area identifier so as to extract from the received coverage area identifier one or more attributes of the coverage area in which the WCD operated.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for managing repeat-paging processes within a radio access network. When a base station receives a paging directive, the base station begins broadcasting a first series of page messages destined to a mobile station. Responsive to the first base station receiving no response from the mobile station to the first series of page messages and responsive to the mobile station determining a load state and/or an application type, the first base station decides to send a repeat-paging directive from the first base station to a second base station without routing the repeat-paging directive through the control node or rather to route the repeat-paging directive through the control node and then to the second base station. The repeat-paging directive directs the second base station to begin broadcasting a second series of page messages destined to the mobile station.

Abstract: In systems and methods of arranging content for broadcast in a wireless communication system, a request is received from a plurality of wireless devices, each associated with a user profile, for content associated with content characteristics. A plurality of content for each of the plurality of wireless devices is generated according to the associated user profile. The plurality of content is arranged according to the content characteristics for broadcasting to the plurality of wireless devices in a multicast transmission.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for prioritizing carriers in femtocell frequency-hopping pilot beacons. A femtocell receives registration requests from a number of mobile devices requesting to hand off service from a macro-network carrier to the femtocell. The femtocell identifies the macro-network carrier that each mobile device has handed off from. The femtocell then uses that information to prioritize future broadcasts of its frequency-hopping pilot beacon on those macro-network carriers on which the most mobile devices have handed off from. The prioritization could take the form of broadcasting more often on the higher priority one or more carriers per cycle, or broadcasting for a longer continuous period of time on the higher priority one or more carriers per cycle.

Abstract: A base station of a radio access network (RAN) and a multiband mobile station are configured for wireless communication in a plurality of frequency bands. The RAN selects a configuration of uplink and downlink frequencies for a radio connection between the base station and multiband mobile station. The uplink and downlink frequencies in the selected configuration are in different frequency bands. The RAN may select a frequency band for the uplink frequency based, at least in part, on a distance between the multiband mobile station and the base station. That RAN may select a frequency band for the downlink frequency based, at least in part, on respective downlink loads at the base station for the first, second, and third frequency bands.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively allowing uplink wireless transmission from a wireless communication device (WCDs) to a base station without a resource block assignment. Certain resource blocks may be designated for this use but still available for assignment to particular WCDs. When the base station receives data in such a resource block without having assigned the resource block for use by any WCD, the base station may determine based on a class or other identity of the transmitting WCD whether to forward the received data for transmission onto a transport network or rather whether to discard the data. The base station may then act accordingly. This arrangement may help improve performance in a scenario where many WCDs in a coverage area, such as embedded WCDs, would tend to transmit small amounts of data often, but the disclosed arrangement is more generally applicable as well.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for securing a communication link between a user equipment device (UE) and a communication network. A first wireless communication link is established between the UE and the communication network. The first wireless communication link is an unsecured communication link and is established under a first air interface protocol. A second wireless communication link is established between the UE and the communication network. The second wireless communication link is a secured communication link and is established under a second air interface protocol. An encryption key is transmitted to the UE over the second wireless communication link, the UE encrypts data using the encryption key, and the encrypted data is communicated over the first wireless communication link from the UE to the communication network.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for enforcing prepayment based on lack of support of authentication functionality by a particular wireless serving system. In one embodiment, at least one home-core-network entity associated with a home core network of a mobile station receives from a particular wireless serving system a registration request associated with the mobile station. Responsive to receiving the registration request, the at least one home-core-network entity makes a determination as to whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality. Responsive to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality, the at least one home-core-network entity sends to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the request subject to at least one prepayment requirement.