Traffic steering in a heterogeneous network

A networking device comprising:

• a computer processor;
• and
• a memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed on the computer processor, performs an operation comprising:
• receiving a first signal characteristic of a first connection between an electronic device and a cellular communications network;
• determining a second signal characteristic of a second connection between the electronic device and a wireless local area network (WLAN);
• determining that a first one or more establishment criteria are not met based on the first signal characteristic and the second signal characteristic;
• preventing the electronic device from attempting to establish the second connection based on the determining that the first one or more establishment criteria are not met;
• and
• transmitting to the electronic device a network message comprising a vendor specific information element (IE) identifying a second plurality of establishment criteria identifying conditions for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection,
• wherein the second establishment criteria, identified in the vendor specific IE transmitted to the electronic device, comprises both a time criteria identifying a time condition for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection and a connection criteria identifying a connection condition for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection,
• wherein the electronic device parses the vendor specific IE to identify the time criteria and the connection criteria, and
• wherein the electronic device determines, after the preventing based on determining that the first one or more establishment criteria are not met, that at least one of the time criteria or the connection criteria is met, and in response the electronic device attempts to re-establish the second connection.

A non-transitory memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors performs an operation comprising:

• receiving a first signal characteristic of a first connection between an electronic device and a cellular communications network;
• determining a second signal characteristic of a second connection between the electronic device and a wireless local area network (WLAN);
• determining that a first one or more establishment criteria are not met based on the first signal characteristic and the second signal characteristic;
• preventing the electronic device from attempting to establish the second connection based on the determining that the first one or more establishment criteria are not met;
• and
• transmitting to the electronic device a network message comprising a vendor specific information element (IE) identifying a second plurality of establishment criteria identifying conditions for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection,
• wherein the second establishment criteria, identified in the vendor specific IE transmitted to the electronic device, comprises both a time criteria identifying a time condition for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection and a connection criteria identifying a connection condition for the electronic device to attempt to establish the second connection,
• wherein the electronic device parses the vendor specific IE to identify the time criteria and the connection criteria, and
• wherein the electronic device determines, after the preventing based on determining that the first one or more establishment criteria are not met, that at least one of the time criteria or the connection criteria is met, and in response the electronic device attempts to re-establish the second connection.