System and method for connecting to a voice network, such as wirelessly connecting to a UMA network

A method of connecting a mobile device to a core network via an alternate wireless network, wherein the mobile device is also capable of connecting wirelessly with a cellular telephone network, the method comprising:

• determining alternate wireless networks available to access by the mobile device,
• wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and
• ordering the available alternate wireless networks by signal strength;
• connecting the mobile device to the available alternate wireless network with a highest signal strength;
• measuring a quality of the connected alternate wireless network,
• wherein the measured quality is associated with a quality of communications provided by the connected alternate wireless network;
• and
• when the quality of the connected alternate wireless network is above a pre-determined threshold, operating the mobile device on the core network via the connected alternate wireless network.

A portable apparatus for establishing communications with at least one cellular telephone system and with an access point of at least one of multiple alternative wireless networks, the apparatus comprising:

• an antenna;
• at least one wireless transceiver, coupled to the antenna, for wirelessly exchanging signals between the apparatus and at least one access point of one or more alternative wireless networks, and between the apparatus and the cellular telephone system;
• at least one memory for storing data;
• at least one portable power generation subsystem;
• at least one audio portion for processing voice signals;
• processor means, coupled among the transceiver, the audio portion, the portable power generation subsystem and the memory, for permitting wireless communication with the alternate wireless network;
• a housing configured to carry the antenna, transceiver, portable power generation subsystem, memory, audio portion and processor means;
• and
• a user interlace means, carried by the housing and coupled to the processor means, for providing a user interlace to permit user activation of an alternate wireless connection process, and
• wherein the processor means includes:
• means for automatically identifying any available alternate wireless network in response to manual activation of the alternate wireless connection process,
• wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks (WLANs), and
• wherein at least some of the WLANs are not operated by an operator of the cellular telephone network;
• means for automatically establishing a predetermined connection with an access point of an identified available alternate wireless network;
• means for automatically determining if the identified available alternate wireless network provides a connection of acceptable quality for voice communications over the identified network;
• and
• means for automatically establishing voice communications over the identified available alternate wireless network.

A tangible computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one mobile device to perform a method to automatically establish communications with at least one cellular telephone system through at least one of multiple alternate wireless networks, the method comprising:

• at the mobile device, automatically identifying any available alternate wireless network while the mobile device has a connection with the cellular telephone system,
• wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and
• at the mobile device, automatically establishing a predetermined connection with an access point of an identified available alternate wireless network;
• at the mobile device, automatically determining if the identified available alternate wireless network provides a connection of acceptable quality;
• and
• at the mobile device, automatically establishing voice communications through the identified available alternate wireless network as opposed to directly over the cellular telephone system.