Dynamic reconfiguration of carrier prioritization to facilitate TDD-FDD carrier aggregation service

A base station comprising:

• a wireless communication interface including an antenna structure through which the base station is configured to engage in air interface communication, wherein the base station is configured to provide a coverage area on at least one time-division-duplex (TDD) carrier and on at least one frequency-division-duplex (FDD) carrier;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the controller is configured to detect that the base station is serving a user equipment device (UE) in a connected mode on just one or more of the at least one TDD carrier and that the UE supports TDD-FDD carrier aggregation, and
• wherein the controller is further configured to respond to at least the detecting by reconfiguring the UE from (i) being configured to prioritize connecting on TDD over connecting on FDD to (ii) being configured to prioritize connecting on FDD over connecting on TDD.

A user equipment device (UE) operable in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:

• a wireless communication interface including an antenna structure through which the UE is configured to engage in air interface communication;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the controller is configured to apply a default prioritization according to which the UE prioritizes connecting on time-division-duplex (TDD) over connecting on frequency-division-duplex (FDD),
• wherein the controller is configured to receive from a base station, when the UE is being served by the base station on just one or more TDD carriers but the UE is also within coverage of the base station on one or more FDD carriers, a directive for the UE to change from (i) applying the default prioritization to (ii) applying a re-prioritization according to which the UE instead prioritizes connecting on FDD over connecting on TDD, wherein the message is provided by the base station in response at least to the base station determining that the base station is serving the UE on just the one or more TDD carriers and that the UE supports TDD-FDD carrier aggregation, and
• wherein the controller is configured to respond to at least the directive by changing the UE from (i) applying the default prioritization to (ii) applying a re-prioritization according to which the UE instead prioritizes connecting on FDD over connecting on TDD.