Method and system for redirecting unauthorized wireless communication devices away from a femtocell

A femtocell comprising:

• a communication interface;
• a processor;
• and
• data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for causing the femtocell to carry out a set of functions including:
• transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier;
• receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell;
• and
• making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell, identifying a slot cycle associated with the WCD, and responsive to making the disable determination, and based on the identifying, disabling, during at least one subsequent slot of the identified slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, though continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD.

A method comprising:

• a femtocell transmitting a pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier, and transmitting one or more overhead channels on a femtocell carrier;
• the femtocell receiving a registration request from a wireless communication device (WCD), and evaluating whether the WCD is authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell;
• the femtocell making a disable determination comprising a first determination that the WCD is not authorized to receive wireless service from the femtocell and a second determination that no authorized WCDs that are currently registered with the femtocell are currently using a same or overlapping slot cycle as the unauthorized WCD;
• and
• responsive to making the disable determination, the femtocell disabling, during at least one subsequent slot associated with the unauthorized WCD in a periodically recurring slot cycle, at least one transmission selected from the group consisting of (i) one or more of the overhead channels and (ii) the pilot beacon, but the femtocell continuing to provide the at least one transmission in at least one slot that is associated with at least one authorized WCD.