Methods and apparatus for a mobile broker supporting inter-rat, inter-operator handovers

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor, the circuitry configured to:

communicate with a first base station that is part of a first access network using a first radio access technology (RAT);

send a request for available access networks to a mobile broker, wherein the request for available access networks is configured to be triggered by a policy-based trigger when a received signal strength is below a sixty percent level;

receive, from the mobile broker, information including a ranked list of available access networks;

select a second access network and a corresponding second RAT based on the ranked list; and

switch to a communication with a second base station using the second RAT.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the request for available access networks is a request for information associated with access networks available to the processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second base station is part of the second access network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the circuitry are included in a wireless communications device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the request for available access networks includes information corresponding to a service provider associated with the wireless communications device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the request for available access networks is further configured to be triggered by a user and wherein the user is associated with the wireless communications device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station involves an inter-RAT, inter-operator handover.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station is associated with beginning a new communication session.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station includes a continuation of an existing communication session.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ranked list ranks the available access networks based on signal-to-noise ratios or based on channel download rates, wherein each signal-to-noise ratio is associated with a corresponding available access network, and wherein each channel download rate is associated with a corresponding available access network.

11. A method comprising:

communicating, from an apparatus, with a first base station that is part of a first access network using a first radio access technology (RAT);

sending, from the apparatus, a policy-triggered request for available access networks to a mobile broker when a received signal strength falls below a sixty percent level;

receiving, at the apparatus, access network information associated with access networks available to the apparatus including a ranked list of available access networks from the mobile broker;

selecting a second access network and a corresponding second RAT based on the ranked list; and

switching to a communication with a second base station using the second RAT.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the policy-triggered request for available access networks includes a request for the access network information.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is a wireless communications device.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the policy-triggered request for available access networks includes velocity information associated with the apparatus.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the policy-triggered request for available access networks includes cost information associated with the apparatus.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the access network information includes an advertisement.

17. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, sending a user-triggered request for available access networks from the apparatus to the mobile broker.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station involves an inter-RAT, inter-operator handover.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station is the beginning of a new session.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein switching to the communication with the second base station is a continuation of a session of communications.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor, the circuitry configured to:

receive network information from one or more user equipments (UEs);

receive a policy-triggered request for available access networks from a requesting UE when a received signal strength falls below a sixty percent level;

determine the available access networks and corresponding radio access technologies (RATs) for the requesting UE;

determine network ranking information of the available access networks and the corresponding RATs for the requesting UE; and

send the network ranking information to the requesting UE.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to store the received network information in a network information database.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the network information is periodically received from at least one of the one or more UEs.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to send a request for the network information to the one or more UEs.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the network information comprises channel quality indicators.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to calculate a velocity associated with the requesting UE.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the network information comprises an experienced throughput associated with the requesting UE.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the network information comprises communication quality information associated with a wireless channel.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to credit an account associated with a particular UE of the one or more UEs in exchange for the received network information from the particular UE.

30. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive access network cost information from the requesting UE.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the network ranking information of the available access networks is based on the received access network cost information from the requesting UE.

32. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a user-triggered request for available access networks from the requesting UE.

33. An apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a first base station as part of a first access network using a first radio access technology (RAT);

means for sending a request for available access networks to a mobile broker, wherein the request for available access networks is configured to be triggered by a policy-based trigger when a received signal strength falls below a sixty percent level;

means for receiving information including a ranked list of available access networks from the mobile broker;

means for selecting a second access network and a corresponding second RAT based on the received information; and

means for switching to a communication with a second base station using the second RAT.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein the request for available access networks is further configured to be triggered by a user.

35. A non-transitory processor-readable medium including processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

communicate with a first base station as part of a first access network using a first radio access technology (RAT);

send a request for available access networks to a mobile broker, wherein the request for available access networks is automatically sent when a received signal strength falls below a sixty percent level;

receive information including a ranked list of available access networks from the mobile broker;

select a second access network and a corresponding second RAT based on the received information; and

switch to a communication with a second base station using the second RAT.

36. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 35 , wherein the request for available access networks is further configured to be triggered by a user.