Control of wireless connectivity based on latency

1 . A method comprising:

establishing wireless connectivity between a mobile communication device and multiple wireless networks, the wireless connectivity including multiple wireless communication links, the multiple wireless communication links including a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link, the multiple wireless networks including a first wireless network and a second wireless network;

via test messages communicated from the mobile communication device over the multiple wireless communication links: i) producing a first latency value indicating a first latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the first wireless communication link and the first wireless network to a remote management entity, and ii) producing a second latency value indicating a second latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the second wireless communication link and the second wireless network to the remote management entity; and

preventing handoff of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network during a condition in which a magnitude of the second latency value is detected as being less than a magnitude of the first latency value.

2 . The method as in claim 1 ,

wherein the first wireless communication link supports first communications between the mobile communication device and the remote management entity; and

wherein the second wireless communication link supports second communications between the mobile communication device and the remote management entity.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein producing the first latency value includes: i) communicating a first communication from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity over the first wireless network; and ii) generating the first latency value to indicate a first time difference between the mobile communication device communicating the first communication and the remote management entity receiving the first communication; and

wherein producing the second latency value includes: i) communicating a second communication from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity over the second wireless network; and ii) generating a second latency value indicating a second time difference between the mobile communication device communicating the second communication and the remote management entity receiving the second communication.

4 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

determining a planned trajectory of travel associated with the mobile communication device through a geographical region; and

selecting amongst the multiple wireless communication links based at least in part on anticipated wireless coverage of the multiple wireless networks and corresponding prior instances of latencies associated with communicating with the remote management entity over the multiple wireless networks along the planned trajectory through the geographical region.

5 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

while the mobile communication device travels along a planned travel route through a geographical region, repeating operations of: i) determining a corresponding latency associated with conveyance of communications over the multiple wireless communication links; and ii) based on determined corresponding latencies, selecting a wireless communication link from the multiple wireless communication links for communication of data from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity.

6 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

while the mobile communication device is at a first location of a planned travel route of the mobile communication device through a geographical region: communicating a message from the mobile communication device over the first wireless communication link and through the first wireless network to the remote management entity; and

while the mobile communication device is at a second location of the planned route: in response to detecting that the second wireless network provides a lower latency than the first wireless network by greater than a threshold value, communicating data from the mobile communication device over the second wireless communication link and through the second wireless network to the remote management entity.

7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple wireless networks is operated by a different wireless network service provider.

8 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

switching over from communicating data from the mobile communication device over the first wireless network to the remote management entity to communicating data over the second wireless network to the remote management entity in response to detecting that a communication path through the second wireless network to the remote management entity provides a lower latency than the first wireless network.

9 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a group of wireless networks amongst the multiple wireless networks that provide the lowest transmission latency in which to communicate data to the remote management entity; and

establishing connectivity from the mobile communication device through each of the wireless networks in the group to the remote management entity.

10 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

implementing hysteresis to determine whether to switchover from using the first wireless communication link established with the first wireless network to using the second wireless communication link established with the second wireless network to communicate with the remote management entity.

11 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

controlling a time interval between performing testing latency associated with each of the multiple wireless networks based on a distance traveled by a vehicle in which the mobile communication device resides.

12 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting a time interval between testing latency associated with each of the multiple wireless networks in response to detecting the mobile communication device being in an area where the multiple wireless networks are historically unreliable for providing wireless access.

13 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a range value;

referencing the range value with respect to the first latency value; and

wherein the condition includes the magnitude of the second latency value falling within the range value referenced with respect to the first latency value.

14 . A system comprising:

communication management hardware operative to:

establish wireless connectivity between a mobile communication device and multiple wireless networks, the wireless connectivity including multiple wireless communication links, the multiple wireless communication links including a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link, the multiple wireless networks including a first wireless network and a second wireless network;

via test messages communicated from the mobile communication the multiple wireless communication links: i) produce a first latency value indicating a first latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the first wireless communication link and the first wireless network to a remote management entity, and ii) produce a second latency value indicating a second latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the second wireless communication link and the second wireless network to the remote management entity; and

prevent handoff of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network during a condition in which a magnitude of the second latency value is detected as being less than a magnitude of the first latency value.

15 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

establish the first wireless communication link with the first wireless network of the multiple wireless networks; and

establish the second wireless communication link with the second wireless network of the multiple wireless networks.

16 . The system as in claim 15 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

communicate a first communication from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity over the first wireless network;

generate the first latency value to indicate a first time difference between the mobile communication device communicating the first communication and the remote management entity receiving the first communication;

communicate a second communication from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity over the second wireless network; and

generate the second latency value to indicate a second time difference between the mobile communication device communicating the second communication and the remote management entity receiving the second communication.

17 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

determine a planned trajectory of travel associated with the mobile communication device through a geographical region; and

select amongst the multiple wireless communication links based at least in part on anticipated wireless coverage of the multiple wireless networks and corresponding prior instances of latencies associated with communicating with the remote management entity over the multiple wireless networks along the planned trajectory through the geographical region.

18 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

while the mobile communication device travels along a planned travel route through a geographical region, repeating operations of: i) determine a corresponding latency associated with conveyance of communications over the multiple wireless communication links; and ii) based on determined corresponding latencies, select a wireless communication link from the multiple wireless communication links for communication of data from the mobile communication device to the remote management entity.

19 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

while the mobile communication device is at a first location of a planned travel route of the mobile communication device through a geographical region: communicate a message from the mobile communication device over the first wireless communication link and through a first wireless network to the remote management entity; and

while the mobile communication device is at a second location of the planned route: in response to detecting that the second wireless network provides a lower latency than the first wireless network by greater than a threshold value, communicate data from the mobile communication device over the second wireless communication link and through the second wireless network to the remote management entity.

20 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein each of the multiple wireless networks is operated by a different wireless network service provider.

21 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

switch over from communicating data from the mobile communication device over the first wireless network to the remote management entity to communicating data over the second wireless network to the remote management entity in response to detecting that a communication path through the second wireless network to the remote management entity provides a lower latency than the first wireless network.

22 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to:

select a group of wireless networks amongst the multiple wireless networks that provide the lowest transmission latency in which to communicate data to the remote management entity; and

establish connectivity from the mobile communication device through each of the wireless networks in the group to the remote management entity.

23 . The system as in claim 14 ,

wherein the communication management hardware is further operative to: implement hysteresis to determine whether to switchover from using the first wireless communication link established with the first wireless network to using the second wireless communication link established with the second wireless network to communicate with the remote management entity.

24 . Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

establish wireless connectivity between a mobile communication device and multiple wireless networks, the wireless connectivity including multiple wireless communication links, the multiple wireless communication links including a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link, the multiple wireless networks including a first wireless network and a second wireless network;

via test messages communicated from the mobile communication device over the multiple wireless communication links: i) produce a first latency value indicating a first latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the first wireless comminication link and the first wireless network to a remote management entity, and ii) produce a second latency value indicating a second latency associated with the mobile communication device communicating over the second wireless communication link and the second wireless network to the remote management entity; and

prevent handoff of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network during a condition in which a magnitude of the second latency value is detected as being less than a magnitude of the first latency value.

25 . A method comprising:

establishing wireless connectivity between a mobile communication device and multiple wireless networks, the wireless connectivity including multiple wireless communication links;

via test messages communicated from the mobile communication device over the multiple wireless communication links, determining a respective latency associated with conveyance of communications over each of the multiple wireless communication links to a remote management entity; and

based on comparison of the respective latencies, selecting a wireless communication link from the multiple wireless communication links to convey communications between the mobile communication device and the remote management entity;

wherein the multiple wireless networks include a first wireless network and a second wireless network;

wherein the multiple wireless communication links include: i) a first wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the first wireless network, and ii) a second wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the second wireless network;

receiving a first latency value indicating a first latency associated with communicating over the first wireless communication link and the first wireless network to the remote management entity;

receiving a second latency value indicating a second latency associated with communicating over the second wireless communication link and the second wireless network to the remote management entity;

receiving a first range value associated with the first latency value;

referencing the first range value with respect to the first latency value;

receiving a second range value associated with the second latency value;

referencing the second range value with respect to the second latency value; and

initiating handoff of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network in response to detecting that: i) a magnitude of the second latency value is less than a magnitude of the first latency value, and ii) the second range referenced with respect to the second latency value and the first range value referenced with respect to the first latency value do not overlap with each other.