Access mode-based access control

A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a receiver of the network entity configured to receive a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell;
• an access controller of the network entity coupled to the receiver to obtain information contained in the first handover message and configured to determine whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal, and further configured to determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals;
• and
• a transmitter of the network entity configured to send a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group.

A network entity of a wireless communication system, comprising:

• means for receiving, at the network entity, a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell;
• means for determining, at the network entity, whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal, wherein the means for determining is coupled to the means for receiving to obtain information contained in the first handover message, and wherein the means for determining is further configured to determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals;
• and
• means for sending, by the network entity, a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group.

A non-transitory computer-program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer at a network entity of a wireless communication system to:
• receive a first handover message requesting handover of an access terminal to a cell;
• determine whether an access mode of the cell is closed, hybrid, or neither closed nor hybrid, where a hybrid access mode is one in which different levels of service are provided to member and non-member access terminals;
• determine whether the access terminal is a member of a subscriber group associated with the cell, wherein the determination is based on a subscriber group list associated with the access terminal and on information received in the first handover message;
• and
• send a second handover message to the cell, wherein the second handover message comprises an indication of whether the access terminal is a member of the subscriber group.

A non-transitory computer-program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer of a network entity of a wireless communication system to:
• determine an access mode of a cell, wherein the access mode indicates whether the cell is a hybrid cell that provides a different level of service for member access terminals than is provided for non-member access terminals, a closed cell that does not provide service to non-member access terminals, or neither a hybrid cell nor a closed cell;
• and
• send a message to initiate handover of an access terminal to the cell, wherein the message comprises an indication of the access mode.