Method and apparatus for a dual radio user equipment

1. A method at a user equipment capable of supporting at least two radio connections, the method comprising:

requesting from a remote server, using a first radio connection for a first subscriber identity, a second subscriber identity;

receiving, at the user equipment, the second subscriber identity over the first radio connection;

using the second subscriber identity to establish a second radio connection; and

maintaining the first and second radio connections, and forcing the first radio connection to remain on a same network as the second radio connection, comprising:

determining whether the first radio connection is on the same network as the second radio connection; and

if the first radio connection is not on the same network as the second radio connection, re-establish the first radio connection on the same network as the second radio connection using the first subscriber identity.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a subscriber challenge over the second network connection;

using the first radio connection to connect to the remote server to obtain a challenge response for the subscriber challenge; and

sending the challenge response over the second network connection.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the received second subscriber identity is for a network in a jurisdiction in which the user equipment is physically present.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein an operator of a network is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sending the challenge response is performed within a time value set by the MVNO.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the MVNO operates the remote server.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein a roaming number is dynamically assigned to any identity within the remote server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first subscriber identity is a home carrier subscriber identity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is a subscriber identity module bank.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second subscriber identity is returned by the user equipment for reuse by the subscriber identity module bank.

11. A user equipment capable of supporting at least two radio connections, the user equipment comprising a processor and communications subsystem, wherein the user equipment is configured to:

request from a remote server, using a first radio connection for a first subscriber identity, a second subscriber identity;

receive the second subscriber identity over the first radio connection;

use the second subscriber identity to establish a second radio connection; and

maintain the first and second radio connections, and force the first radio connection to remain on a same network as the second radio connection, comprising:

determining whether the first radio connection is on the same network as the second radio connection; and

if the first radio connection is not on the same network as the second radio connection, re-establish the first radio connection on the same network as the second radio connection using the first subscriber identity.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

receive a subscriber challenge over the second network connection;

use the first radio connection to connect to the remote server to obtain a challenge response for the subscriber challenge; and

send the challenge response over the second network connection.

13. The user equipment of claim 12 , wherein the received second subscriber identity is for a network in a jurisdiction in which the user equipment is physically present.

14. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein an operator of a network is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

15. The user equipment of claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is configured to send the challenge response within a time value set by the MVNO.

16. The user equipment of claim 15 , wherein the MVNO operates the remote server.

17. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein a first subscriber identity is a home carrier subscriber identity.

18. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the remote server is a subscriber identity module bank.

19. The user equipment of claim 18 , wherein the second subscriber identity is returned by the user equipment for reuse by the subscriber identity module bank.

20. A method at a user equipment capable of supporting at first and second radio connections, the first radio connection being for a first subscriber identity, the method comprising:

after establishing the second radio connection using a second subscriber identity and while maintaining the first radio connection:

forcing the first radio connection to remain on a same network as the second radio connection, comprising: determining whether the first radio connection is on the same network as the second radio connection, and if the first radio connection is not on the same network as the second radio connection, re-establish the first radio connection on the same network as the second radio connection using the first subscriber identity;

receiving a subscriber authentication challenge over the second network connection;

using the first radio connection to connect to a remote server to obtain an authentication challenge response for the subscriber authentication challenge; and

sending the authentication challenge response over the second network connection.