Apparatus, and associated method, for selectably operating radio device in alternate operating mode

In a radio communication system having a mobile terminal and at least one access point at which to permit communication access of the mobile terminal with network infrastructure, the mobile terminal and the access point together operable pursuant to a first communication mode and potentially together operable pursuant to a second communication mode, and the mobile terminal and the at least one access point each identified by identifiers that contain information relating to communication-mode capability, an improvement of apparatus for identifying whether the mobile terminal and the access point are together operable pursuant to the second communication mode, said apparatus comprising:

• a comparator coupled to receive indications of the identifier that identifies the mobile terminal and to receive indications of the identifier which identifies the access point, said comparator for comparing values of the identifiers, the comparator indicating the mobile terminal and the access point together to be operable pursuant to the second communication mode if the values of the identifiers indicate both the mobile terminal and the access point to be capable of operation pursuant to the second communication mode, and the comparator indicating the mobile terminal and the access point together to be operable only pursuant to the first communication mode if the values of the identifiers fail to indicate both the mobile terminal and the access point to be operable pursuant to the second mode.