Handoff management in a multi-layer wireless network

A method comprising:

• identifying a location of a wireless device in a wireless network environment;
• mapping the location to a speed value;
• and
• selectively initiating a wireless handoff of a communication link with the wireless device from a long-range base station to a short-range base station based at least in part on the speed value;
• wherein mapping the location to the speed value includes:
• detecting that the wireless device resides in a particular geographical region amongst multiple geographical regions, and identifying the speed value assigned to the particular geographical region.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a hardware storage resource coupled to the processor, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the operations of:
• initiating communications over a communication link between a long-range base station and a wireless device in a network environment;
• detecting that the wireless device moves in a vicinity of coverage provided by a short-range base station located in the network environment, the short-range base station configured to provide a substantially smaller region of coverage within a region of coverage provided by the long-range base station;
• identifying a location of the wireless device in the network environment;
• mapping the location to a speed value;
• selectively initiating a wireless handoff of the communication link from the long-range base station to the short-range base station based at least in part on the speed value;
• and
• wherein mapping the location to the speed value includes:
• detecting that the wireless device resides in a particular geographical region amongst multiple geographical regions, and identifying the speed value assigned to the particular geographical region.

Non-transitory computer-readable storage having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations of:

• initiating communications over a communication link between a long-range base station and a wireless device in a network environment;
• detecting that the wireless device moves in a vicinity of coverage provided by a short-range base station located in the network environment, the short-range base station configured to provide a substantially smaller region of coverage as compared to a region of coverage provided by a long-range base station;
• and
• selectively initiating a wireless handoff of the communication link from the long-range base station to the short-range base station depending on a type of data transmitted over a communication link between the wireless device and the long-range base station;
• identifying a corresponding region in which the wireless device resides;
• mapping the corresponding geographical region to a speed value, the speed value indicating a rate at which subscribers typically travel through the corresponding geographical region;
• and
• wherein selectively initiating the wireless handoff of the communication link from the long-range base station to the short-range base station includes initiating the wireless handoff from the long-range base station to the short-range base station in response to detecting that the speed value assigned to the geographical region is below a threshold speed value.