Network discovery

An apparatus for accessing a voice service available at a cellular network, comprising:

• a cellular network interface for accessing the voice service via a cellular network base station;
• a non-cellular local area network interface connected to a non-cellular wireless local area network of a wireless routing device for accessing the voice service via a cellular network gateway of the cellular gateway;
• a first transmitter configured to send, via the non-cellular wireless local area network, a request to the cellular network gateway to access the voice service;
• a first receiver configured to receive a request from a voice service access controller, for any observed non-cellular wireless local area networks and cellular networks;
• a processor configured to generate a list of any observed non-cellular wireless local area networks and observed cellular networks;
• a second transmitter configured to send the list to the voice service access controller via the non-cellular local area network interface;
• a second receiver configured to receive an identity of one of the listed non-cellular wireless local area networks and the observed cellular networks from the voice service access controller, the identified network representing a candidate network for accessing the voice service;
• and
• wherein the respective cellular network interface or the non-cellular wireless local area network interface associated with the identified network is enabled to access the voice service.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor and memory for operating a mobile device to access a voice service available at a cellular network, the mobile device having a cellular network interface for accessing the voice service via a cellular network base station and a non-cellular wireless local area network interface for accessing the voice service via a wireless routing device and a cellular network gateway, by:
• connecting to a non-cellular wireless local area network of the wireless routing device;
• sending, via the non-cellular wireless local area network, a request to the cellular network gateway to access the voice service;
• receiving a request from a voice service access controller, for any observed wireless local area networks and cellular networks;
• generating a list of any observed non-cellular wireless local area networks and observed cellular networks;
• sending the list to the voice service access controller via the non-cellular wireless local area network interface;
• receiving an identity of one of the listed non-cellular wireless local area networks and the observed cellular networks from the voice service access controller, the identified network representing an candidate network for accessing the voice service;
• and
• enabling the respective cellular network base station or the non-cellular wireless network interface associated with the identified network to access the voice service.