Dynamic load balancing based on network performance

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a server device, a first measure of throughput associated with a cellular wireless network;

determining, by the server device, a second measure of throughput associated with a wireless local area network (“WLAN”);

comparing, by the server device, the first measure of throughput to the second measure of throughput;

selecting, by the server device and based on the comparing, a particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN; and

sending, by the server device, an instruction to a user device that is in range of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, the instruction instructing the user device to connect to the particular selected wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first measure of throughput is an average throughput of traffic sent to or received by a set of user devices, via the cellular wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first measure of throughput is associated with a particular period of time, wherein the second measure of throughput is an average throughput of traffic sent to or received by a plurality of user devices, via the WLAN over the same particular period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellular wireless network operates at a set of frequency bands that have been licensed from a governmental entity.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the WLAN operates at a set of frequency bands that have not been licensed from a governmental entity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, based on the comparing, includes:

determining whether the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput;

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput, the cellular wireless network; and

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is not greater than the second measure of throughput, the WLAN.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, based on the comparing, includes:

determining whether the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least a threshold amount;

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the cellular wireless network; and

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is not greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the WLAN.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellular wireless network is the selected particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN,

wherein the instruction further instructs the user device to disable wireless circuitry, of the user device, that allows the user device to connect to the WLAN.

9. A server device, comprising:

one or more memory devices storing a set of processor-executable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the set of processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the set of processor-executable instructions causes the one or more processors to:

determine a first measure of throughput associated with a cellular wireless network,

determine a second measure of throughput associated with a wireless local area network (“WLAN”),

compare the first measure of throughput to the second measure of throughput;

select, based on the comparing, a particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, and

send an instruction to a user device that is in range of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, the instruction instructing the user device to connect to the particular selected wireless network.

10. The server device of claim 9 , wherein the first measure of throughput is an average throughput of traffic sent to or received by a set of user devices, via the cellular wireless network.

11. The server device of claim 10 , wherein the first measure of throughput is associated with a particular period of time, wherein the second measure of throughput is an average throughput of traffic sent to or received by a plurality of user devices, via the WLAN over the same particular period of time.

12. The server device of claim 9 , wherein the cellular wireless network operates at a set of frequency bands that have been licensed from a governmental entity, and

wherein the WLAN operates at a set of frequency bands that have not been licensed from a governmental entity.

13. The server device of claim 9 , wherein executing the set of processor-executable instructions to select the particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, based on the comparing, further causes the one or more processors to:

determine whether the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput;

select, when determining that the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput, the cellular wireless network; and

select, when determining that the first measure of throughput is not greater than the second measure of throughput, the WLAN.

14. The server device of claim 9 , wherein executing the set of processor-executable instructions to select the particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, based on the comparing, further causes the one or more processors to:

determine whether the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least a threshold amount;

select, when determining that the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the cellular wireless network; and

select, when determining that the first measure of throughput is not greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the WLAN.

15. The server device of claim 9 , wherein the cellular wireless network is the selected particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN,

wherein the instruction, sent to the user device, further instructs the user device to disable wireless circuitry, of the user device, that allows the user device to connect to the WLAN.

16. A method, comprising:

determining, by a user device, a first measure of throughput associated with a cellular wireless network that is in range of the user device;

determining, by the user device, a second measure of throughput associated with a wireless local area network (“WLAN”) that is in range of the user device;

comparing, by the user device, the first measure of throughput to the second measure of throughput;

selecting, by the user device and based on the comparing, a particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN; and

connecting, by the user device, to the selected particular one of the cellular wireless network or the WLAN.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the first measure of throughput includes receiving information regarding the first measure of throughput from a server device that determines throughput associated with the cellular wireless network.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first measure of throughput is based on measured throughput of traffic sent or received by a plurality of user devices via the cellular wireless network.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the second measure of throughput includes:

connecting to the WLAN; and

performing a throughput test via the WLAN.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein selecting the particular one of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, based on the comparing, includes:

determining whether the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least a threshold amount;

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the cellular wireless network; and

selecting, when determining that the first measure of throughput is not greater than the second measure of throughput by at least the threshold amount, the WLAN.