Patent ID: 7155221

Claim:
A method for selecting a cell for handover of a continuing communication, wherein the communication is initially routed through a first cell of a partner mobile network, comprising: establishing a flag for use by a partner mobile network and a home mobile network, the flag indicating that a mobile station belongs to a subscriber to the home mobile network; storing information including the flag in a database that is in communication with the partner mobile network; setting a flag with respect to a communication involving the mobile station that is being carried on a partner mobile network as including a mobile station of a subscriber of a home mobile network; determining that a handover from a first cell in the partner mobile network to a second cell among a plurality of candidate cells, is necessary to maintain communications for the mobile station; and initiating a handover of the communication from the first cell to the second cell if the second cell belongs to the home mobile network, wherein whether the second cell belongs to the home mobile network is determined, at least in part, by evaluating whether the flag is set.