Patent ID: 8463340

Claim:
A method of accessing a plurality of communication systems in a terminal having a plurality of antennas and a wireless communication unit, the method comprising: determining a home system from a preferred roaming list having the plurality of communications systems associated with different ones of the plurality of antennas, respectively; connecting, by a system switch, the wireless communication unit with a home antenna and disconnecting all other antennas of the plurality of antennas, for communicating at a predetermined frequency band via the home system; providing the home service through the home antenna; and determining if the home system is not available, and if so, connecting the system switch to a roaming antenna of the plurality of antennas and providing a roaming service through the roaming antenna; wherein the home antenna and roaming antenna have first portions thereof each separated by a respective predetermined distance from the system switch and oriented substantially parallel on opposite ends of the terminal, the home antenna and roaming antenna resonating in different frequency bands; and wherein the system switch is disposed closer to one of the roaming antenna and home antenna on a side portion of the terminal.