Data rate selection for wireless communication devices

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

accessing a wireless access system to receive a communication service;

determining a service operator of the wireless access system;

receiving an instruction for a proposed data rate from the wireless access system, the proposed data rate comprising a data rate control (DRC) level for wireless communications between the wireless communication device and the wireless access system;

when the service operator comprises a roaming service operator, determining a selected data rate lower than the proposed data rate and responsively requesting the selected data rate for the communication service from the wireless access system instead of accepting the proposed data rate, and if the wireless access system denies the request for the selected data rate, then accepting the proposed data rate and throttling a data download rate of an application on the wireless communication device to be at the selected data rate by selecting a different compression scheme of the application;

when the service operator comprises a home service operator, determining the selected data rate as the proposed data rate; and

receiving the communication service at the selected data rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

accessing the wireless access system comprises requesting the communication service from the wireless access system and receiving the proposed data rate from the wireless access system indicating a proposed data rate for the communication service;

and requesting the selected data rate comprises determining that the proposed data rate is different from the selected data rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the service operator of the wireless access system comprises determining if the service operator of the wireless access system provides roaming communication service to the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a transmit power level for the communication service based on the service operator of the wireless access system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application on the wireless communication device comprises a media streaming application.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein throttling the data download rate of the application comprises selecting a different resolution of a video in the media streaming application.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein throttling the data download rate of the application to be at the selected rate by selecting the different compression scheme of the application comprises selecting a new compression scheme of media in the media streaming application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the wireless access system to receive the communication service comprises wirelessly accessing a base station of the wireless access system to receive the communication service.

9. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to access a wireless access system to receive a communication service;

a processing system configured to determine a service operator of the wireless access system, receive an instruction for a proposed data rate transferred by the wireless access system, the instruction for the proposed data rate comprising a data rate control (DRC) level for wireless communications between the wireless communication device and the wireless access system, determine a selected data rate lower than the proposed data rate when the service operator comprises a roaming service operator and responsively request the selected data rate for the communication service from the wireless access system instead of accepting the proposed data rate;

the processing system configured to accept the proposed data rate and throttle a data download rate of an application on the wireless communication device to be at the selected data rate by selecting a different compression scheme of the application if the wireless access system denies the request for the selected data rate;

the processing system configured to determine the selected data rate as the proposed data rate when the service operator comprises a home service operator; and

the transceiver configured to receive the communication service at the selected data rate.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , comprising:

the transceiver configured to request the communication service from the wireless access system, receive the proposed data rate from the wireless access system indicating a proposed data rate for the communication service; and

the processing system configured to determine that the proposed data rate is different from the selected data rate.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , comprising:

the processing system configured to determine if the service operator of the wireless access system provides roaming communication service to the wireless communication device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , comprising:

the processing system configured to select a transmit power level for the communication service based on the service operator of the wireless access system.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the application on the wireless communication device comprises a media streaming application.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to select a different resolution of a video in the media streaming application to throttle the data download rate of the application.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to select the different compression scheme of the application by selecting a new compression scheme of media in the media streaming application to throttle the data download rate of the application.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is configured to wirelessly access a base station of the wireless access system to access the wireless access system to receive the communication service.