APPLICATION-LAYER HANDOFF OF AN ACCESS TERMINAL FROM A FIRST SYSTEM OF AN ACCESS NETWORK TO A SECOND SYSTEM OF THE ACCESS NETWORK DURING A COMMUNICATION SESSION WITHIN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

摘要

The disclosure uses a low-cost local wireless network to expand coverage of a multicast service. A user device determines whether a signal strength for a detected wireless multicast service is greater than a threshold, determines whether a low cost local wireless network is available, and communicates with an application server over the low cost local wireless network based on the signal strength being not greater than the threshold and the low cost local wireless network being available. A server receives a request from a user device to send multicast communications to the user device over the low cost local wireless network serving the user device, wherein the user device sends the request based on a signal strength of a detected wireless multicast network being less than a threshold and the low cost local wireless network being available, and communicates with the use device over the low cost local wireless network.