Dynamically switching between broadcast and unicast services for service continuity between wireless networks

A method, comprising:

• determining, by a system comprising a processor, that a user equipment is receiving a broadcast transmission of multimedia content from a broadcast access point device that is configured to send, via a broadcast wireless coverage area, the broadcast transmission to multiple devices via a point-to-multipoint wireless communication protocol;
• receiving, by the system upon a movement of the user equipment from the broadcast wireless coverage area to a unicast wireless coverage area, a communication from the user equipment comprising first information indicating a loss of reception of the broadcast transmission from the broadcast access point device;
• and
• in response to the receiving the communication comprising the first information indicating the loss of reception of the broadcast transmission,
• obtaining, by the system, second information from the communication identifying a broadcast capability of a unicast access point device corresponding to the unicast wireless coverage area, and
• in response to a resource allocation of the unicast access point device being determined to satisfy a defined condition representing a reduction of a unicast transmission bandwidth corresponding to a quality of service constraint of the broadcast transmission, initiating, by the system based on a premium being charged to an account corresponding to the user equipment, an on-demand unicast transmission, via the unicast access point device according to the quality of service constraint of the broadcast transmission, of a copy of the multimedia content that has been stored in a memory of a configurable buffer depth to the user equipment, wherein the unicast access point device is configured to send, via the unicast wireless coverage area, the on-demand unicast transmission to a single device via a point-to-point wireless communication protocol, and wherein the initiating comprises establishing, via the unicast access point device, a bearer communication channel based on a quality of service of a broadcast bearer communication channel of the broadcast transmission.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a system comprising a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

• determining that a mobile device is receiving, from a broadcast access point device via a broadcast wireless coverage area, a broadcast transmission of a data stream via a broadcast bearer channel, wherein the broadcast access point device is configured to send, via the broadcast wireless coverage area, the broadcast transmission to multiple devices via a point-to-multipoint wireless communication protocol;
• receiving, based on a movement of the mobile device from the broadcast wireless coverage area to a unicast wireless coverage area, a message from the mobile device comprising first information indicating that a reception of the broadcast transmission has been lost;
• and
• in response to the receiving the message comprising the first information indicating that the reception of the broadcast transmission has been lost,
• obtaining, from the message, second information indicating a broadcast capability of a target access point device of the unicast wireless coverage area, and
• in response to determining that a resource allocation of the target access point device satisfies a defined condition representing a reduction of a unicast transmission bandwidth corresponding to quality of service constraints of the broadcast transmission, initiating, based on a fee being charged to an account associated with the mobile device, an on-demand unicast transmission, via the target access point device utilizing a bearer communication channel corresponding to a quality of service of the broadcast bearer channel with respect to the quality of service constraints of the broadcast transmission, of a copy of a portion of the broadcast transmission that has been stored in a memory of a configurable size to the mobile device, wherein the target access point device is configured to send, via the unicast wireless coverage area, the on-demand unicast transmission to a single device via a point-to-point wireless communication protocol.