Apparatus, systems and methods for network selection with priority class

A user equipment (“UE”) device, comprising:

• a non-transitory memory having a program stored thereon;
• and
• a processor, wherein execution of the program causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
• identifying a plurality of networks, each network having an assigned priority class indicator;
• identifying a first network of the plurality of networks as having a first priority class indicator;
• determining whether a second network of the plurality of networks has the first priority class indicator;
• determining whether the first priority class indicator is a highest priority class of the assigned priority class indicators;
• and
• when the first network and the second network both have the first priority class indicator and the first priority class indicator is the highest priority class, selecting between the first network and the second network based on a quality characteristic.

A method, comprising:

• at a user equipment (“UE”):
• determining, by the UE, a Mobile Country Code (“MCC”) and an assigned priority class indicator associated with a first network on which the UE is currently camped;
• identifying one or more networks having the same MCC as the first network, including the assigned priority class indicator of each of the one or more networks;
• when the assigned priority class indicator of at least one of the one or more networks has a higher priority than the assigned priority class indicator of the first network, performing a network search for the at least one of the one or more networks;
• and
• when the assigned priority class indicator of at least one of the one or more networks has a same priority as the assigned priority class indicator of the first network, determining a quality characteristic of the first network and the at least one of the one or more networks and performing a network reselection based on the quality characteristic of the first network and the at least one of the one or more networks.

A user equipment (“UE”) device, comprising:

• a non-transitory memory having a program stored thereon;
• and
• a processor, wherein execution of the program causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
• determining a Mobile Country Code (“MCC”) and an assigned priority class indicator associated with a first network on which the UE is currently camped;
• identifying one or more networks having the same MCC as the first network, including the assigned priority class indicator of each of the one or more networks;
• when the assigned priority class indicator of at least one of the one or more networks has a higher priority than the assigned priority class indicator of the first network, performing a network search for the at least one of the one or more networks;
• when the assigned priority class indicator of all of the one or more networks has a same or lower priority than the assigned priority class indicator of the first network, remaining camped on the first network;
• when the assigned priority class indicator of at least one of the one or more networks has a same priority as the assigned priority class indicator of the first network, determining a quality characteristic of the first network and the at least one of the one or more networks;
• and
• performing a network reselection based on the quality characteristic of the first network and the at least one of the one or more networks.