Many wireless network operators enter into roaming agreements with one or more other wireless network operators. The roaming agreements allow wireless devices to exchange wireless communications with visited wireless networks when a home wireless network, to which the wireless devices are subscribed, is not available. Moreover, a roaming agreement may allow a visited wireless network to provide wireless connectivity over a protocol that is not available on a home wireless network in the same area despite the home wireless network offering connectivity in the area over other protocols. For example, the visited wireless network may provide service in the area using both 3G and 4G wireless protocols while the home wireless network only provides service using the 3G protocol. Thus, even though the home wireless network is available in the area, a wireless device may be able to roam on the visited wireless network using the 4G protocol.
The roaming agreements discussed above typically require a fee be paid the home wireless network operator to the visited wireless network operator for the use of the visited wireless network. Moreover, these fees may vary depending on the protocol used by a wireless device when roaming. Accordingly, limiting when a wireless device roams and what protocol the wireless device uses when roaming may help minimize roaming fees paid by the home wireless network operator.
Overview
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for compelling a cell selection metric to indicate that a wireless cell is not suitable for communications. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving system information from a base station of a visited wireless communication network, wherein the system information includes at least a portion of cell selection parameters for a wireless cell of the base station. The method further provides calculating a cell selection metric from the cell selection parameters and a cell selection offset stored in the wireless communication device, wherein the cell selection offset causes the cell selection metric to indicate that the wireless cell is not suitable for communications. The method further provides receiving a request for a data connection from an application executing on the wireless communication device and, in response to the request, recalculating the cell selection metric from the cell selection parameters without the cell selection offset. The method further provides determining whether the wireless cell is suitable for communications based on the cell selection metric.