High data mode for enhanced user experience in cellular networks

1. A user equipment device (UE), comprising:

at least one antenna;

at least one radio, wherein the at least one radio is configured to perform cellular communication using at least one radio access technology (RAT); and

one or more processors coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio are configured to perform voice and/or data communications;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to:

determine, for an interface to a high-speed cellular network operating according to a first RAT, a first cost categorization from a plurality of cost categorizations, wherein the first cost categorization is one of expensive or not expensive, and wherein the first interface is associated with the at least one radio;

determine availability of the high-speed cellular network;

inform, via a first user interface, a user of the UE of a desirability of a switch from a low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

request, via the first user interface, confirmation of the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

receive, via the first user interface, a first user input confirming the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network; and

select, based at least in part on the first cost categorization, availability of the high-speed cellular network, and the first user input, the interface for a data connection to the high-speed cellular network.

2. The UE of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

receive, from one of a low-speed cellular network or the high-speed cellular network, carrier plan information for a cellular data service carrier; and

analyze the carrier plan information to determine desirability of a switch.

3. The UE of claim 2

wherein the carrier plan information for the cellular data service carrier is received from one or more of:

a carrier protocol server; or

a service-based alternate server; and

wherein the carrier plan information is received through a carrier information protocol.

4. The UE of claim 3 ,

wherein the carrier plan information is received via the carrier information protocol by establishing communication with the service-based alternate server.

5. The UE of claim 4 ,

wherein, to establish communication with the service-based alternate server, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

send, to the carrier protocol server, a request message;

receive, from the carrier protocol server, a first response message, wherein the first response message includes an indication of a service-based alternate server;

send, to the service-based alternate server, a provisioning request message; and

receive, from the service-based alternate server, a second response message, wherein the second response message indicates successful establishment of communication with the service-based alternate server, and wherein a service provided by the service-based alternate server includes at least one of:

a data stream saving service; or

a traffic shaping service.

6. The UE of claim 5 ,

wherein the request message includes a first parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates a stream-saver service;

wherein the first response message further includes a confirmation of availability of the stream-saver service; and

wherein the provisioning request message includes an indication that a stream-saver service is enabled.

7. The UE of claim 6 ,

wherein the request message includes one or more of:

a request identifier;

an action name; or

one or more entitlement-names; and

wherein the first response message includes one or more of:

a request identifier;

a status; or

a response.

8. The UE of claim 7 ,

wherein the first response message further includes one or more of:

an entitlement name;

an entitlement status;

periods-to-skip;

a service property

an alternate server identifier;

an authentication token; or

a field indicating only use cellular radio access; and

wherein the provisioning request message includes one or more of:

a request identifier;

an action name; or

an identification of provisioning elements.

9. The UE of claim 8 ,

wherein the identification of provisioning elements includes one or more of:

a name;

a state;

a duration; or

data.

10. The UE of claim 4 ,

wherein, to disable communication with the service-based alternate server, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

send, to the service-based alternate server, a request message indicating disablement of a stream-saver service; and

receive, from the service-based alternate server, a response message confirming disablement of the stream-saver service.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing element in communication with the memory, wherein the processing element is configured to cause the apparatus to:

select, for an interface to a high-speed cellular network operating according to a first radio access technology (RAT), a first categorization from a plurality of categorizations, wherein the first categorization is one of a first level associated with a higher compression codec rate or a second level associated with a lower compression codec rate;

determine availability of the high-speed cellular network;

inform, via a first user interface, a user of a desirability of a switch from a low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

request, via the first user interface, confirmation of the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

receive, via the first user interface, a first user input confirming the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network; and

select, based at least in part on the first categorization, availability of the high-speed cellular network, and the first user input, the interface for a data connection to the high-speed cellular network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

establish communication with a service-based alternate server, wherein the service-based alternate server provides one or more of a data stream-saving service or a traffic shaping service.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the traffic shaping service includes application-based traffic shaping; and

wherein the traffic shaping service provides for streaming traffic to be compressed using a higher compression codec than other data traffic.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive, from one of a low-speed cellular network or the high-speed cellular network, carrier plan information associated with the apparatus, wherein the carrier plan information includes one or more of:

a data plan size;

historical data usage;

one or more data rate throttling thresholds;

a first indication of whether the carrier plan includes Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR) service; or

a second indication of whether UE carrier plan is one or more of:

an unlimited plan with data caps;

an unlimited plan without data caps; or

a limited plan.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 ,

wherein the data plan size is specified in terms of data usage limits, and wherein the data usage limits are in terms of gigabytes per billing cycle;

wherein the historical data usage associated includes one or more of:

average data used per billing cycle;

average data used per associated geographic location;

remaining data for a particular billing cycle;

average data used on the low-speed cellular network per billing cycle; or

average data used on the high-speed cellular network per billing cycle; and

wherein the one or more data rate throttling thresholds include at least one of:

a threshold associated with data usage on the low-speed cellular network;

a threshold associated with data usage on the high-speed cellular network; or

a threshold associated with data usage on all networks.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by processing circuitry to cause a user equipment device (UE) to:

determine, for an interface to a high-speed cellular network operating according to a first radio access technology (RAT), a categorization from a plurality of categorizations, wherein the categorization is one of expensive or not expensive;

determine availability of the high-speed cellular network;

inform, via a first user interface, a user of the UE of a desirability of a switch from a low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

request, via the first user interface, confirmation of the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network;

receive, via the first user interface, a first user input confirming the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network; and

select, based at least in part on the categorization, availability of the high-speed cellular network, and the first user input, the interface for a data connection to the high-speed cellular network.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 16 ,

wherein the desirability of the switch from the low-speed cellular network to the high-speed cellular network is based, at least in part, on the categorization being not expensive.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 16 ,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the UE to:

send, to a carrier protocol server, a request message;

receive, from the carrier protocol server, a first response message, wherein the first response message includes an indication of a service-based alternate server;

send, to a service-based alternate server, a provisioning request message; and

receive, from the service-based alternate server, a second response message, wherein the second response message indicates successful establishment of communication with the service-based alternate server, and wherein a service provided by the service-based alternate server includes at least one of:

a data stream saving service; or

a traffic shaping service.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 18 ,

wherein the request message includes a first parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates a stream-saver service;

wherein the first response message further includes a confirmation of availability of the stream-saver service; and

wherein the provisioning request message includes an indication that a stream-saver service is enabled.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 16 ,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the UE to:

receive, from one of a low-speed cellular network or the high-speed cellular network, carrier plan information for a cellular data service carrier; and

analyze the carrier plan information to determine desirability of a switch.