Patent ID: 8443063

Claim:
A method to determine alternative networks for a wireless communication device, the method comprising: in the wireless communication device: determining an identifier of a first wireless access node in communication with a first communication network serving the wireless communication device; transferring a request for network data associated with a second communication network for delivery to a network control system, wherein the request includes the identifier of the first wireless access node; in the network control system: processing the identifier of the first wireless access node with a network data structure to determine the second communication network for the wireless communication device based on the identifier; transferring the network data associated with the second communication network for delivery to the wireless communication device; and in the wireless communication device, initiating a handoff to a second wireless access node in communication with the second communication network based on the network data associated with the second communication network; wherein the network data comprises an identifier of the second wireless access node; wherein the network data comprises a frequency of a radio frequency (RF) signal associated with the second wireless access node; wherein initiating the handoff to the second wireless access node comprises scanning for the frequency of the RF signal associated with the second wireless access node.