Mobile communication device initiated hand-off based on air interface metrics

A method of operating a mobile communication device comprising:

• transferring, by the mobile communication device, user communications to a first wireless base station through a wireless communication link;
• obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a first base station signal strength, a first base station signal-to-noise ratio, and a first base station round trip delay, and determining, by the mobile communication device, a first air interface metric for the first base station based on a combination of the first base station signal strength, the first base station signal-to-noise ratio, and the first base station round trip delay for a signal directly to and from the first base station;
• identifying, by the mobile communication device, a second wireless base station;
• obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a second base station signal strength, a second base station signal-to-noise ratio, and a second base station round trip delay, and determining, by the mobile communication device, a second air interface metric for the second base station based on a combination of the second base station signal strength, the second base station signal-to-noise ratio, and the second base station round trip delay for a signal directly to and from the second base station;
• comparing the first air interface metric to the second air interface metric;
• determining, by the mobile communication device, whether the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device based on at least one of the parameters associated with the combination for determining the second air interface metric, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric;
• and
• initiating a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station, stopping the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station, and wirelessly transferring additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric and the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics.