Wireless communication system, management server, wireless terminal, and network selection method in which networks that satisfy condition requested by wireless terminal that has requested a connection based on network information including a latest transmission speed is selected

A management server comprising:

• a storage that holds network information about unchanging service characteristics of each of a plurality of networks constituting a communication area by wireless;
• a selector that selects networks that satisfy a condition that is requested by a wireless terminal that has requested a connection based on the network information held by the storage;
• and
• a notifier that notifies the networks selected by the selector, as candidates for connection, to the wireless terminal, wherein
• the wireless terminal measures changing service characteristics of the candidates for connection notified from the management server, selects a network from the candidates for connection based on a measurement result, and connects to the selected network,
• the changing service characteristics include a transmission speed at the time the wireless terminal is connected to the candidate for connection,
• the wireless terminal holds, in advance, transmission speeds required for a plurality of types of data communications, measures the transmission speeds of the candidates for connection notified from the management server, selects a network among the candidates for connection for each type of data communication to be performed based on the comparison between the required transmission speed and the measured transmission speed, and performs the data communication with the selected network, and
• wherein the storage includes and holds a latest transmission speed notified from the wireless terminal in the network information.

A wireless terminal that can connect to a plurality of networks constituting a communication area by wireless, the wireless terminal comprising:

• a requester that transmits a connection request to a management server holding network information about unchanging service characteristics of the plurality of networks;
• a measurer that measures changing service characteristics of candidates for connection selected by the management server based on the unchanging service characteristics of the network information in response to the connection request;
• and
• a connector that selects a network from among the candidates for connection based on a measurement result by the measurer and that connects to the selected network, wherein
• the changing service characteristics include a transmission speed at the time the wireless terminal is connected to the candidate for connection,
• the measurer measures the transmission speeds of the candidates for connection notified from the management server, and
• the connector holds, in advance, a transmission speed required for each type of a plurality of data communications, selects a network from among the candidates for connection for each type of data communication to be performed based on the comparison between the required transmission speed and the measured transmission speed, and performs the data communication with the selected network.

A network selection method of selecting a connection of a wireless terminal from among a plurality of networks constituting a communication area by wireless, the network selection method comprising:

• holding, by a management server in advance, network information about unchanging service characteristics of the plurality of networks;
• requesting, by the wireless terminal, a connection to the management server;
• selecting, by the management server, networks satisfying a condition that is requested by the wireless terminal based on the network information and notifying the selected networks as candidates for connection to the wireless terminal;
• and
• measuring, by the wireless terminal, changing service characteristics of the notified candidates for connection and selecting a connection from among the candidates for connection based on a measurement result, wherein
• the changing service characteristics include a transmission speed at the time the wireless terminal is connected to the candidate for connection, and
• in the wireless terminal,
• a transmission speed is held, in advance, required for each type of a plurality of data communications,
• the transmission speeds of the candidates for connection notified from the management server are measured,
• a network is selected among the candidates for connection for each type of data communication to be performed based on the comparison between the required transmission speed and the measured transmission speed, and
• the data communication is performed with the selected network.