Patent ID: 8825044

Claim:
A method comprising: a radio access network (RAN) determining that a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to begin roaming, wherein the RAN serves the WCD via a first preferred wireless coverage area that is defined by the RAN on a first frequency, wherein the first preferred wireless coverage area is operated by a home wireless service provider of the WCD; based on at least the WCD being likely to begin roaming, the RAN transmitting to the WCD a redirect message that causes the WCD to (i) de-register from the first preferred wireless coverage area, and (ii) register with a second preferred wireless coverage area that is defined by the RAN on a second frequency, wherein the second preferred wireless coverage area is operated by the home wireless service provider, and wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises determining that roaming data indicates that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of a group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas that are not operated by the home wireless service provider, wherein the RAN has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, and wherein determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas comprises: determining a given WCD identifier of the WCD, looking up the determined given WCD identifier in the table, based on given respective handoff data that is stored in the table and associated with the given WCD identifier, determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas.