Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating WLAN selection by a mobile node

An apparatus for facilitating wireless network selection of a first-type wireless network at a user equipment, said apparatus comprising:

• a location information detector embodied at the user equipment and configured to detect second-type-wireless-network-transmitted location information that includes at least one of a country code designation and a network code designation of a second-type wireless network, wherein the second-type wireless network operates according to a technology different from a technology of the first-type wireless network;
• a network list of at least first-type wireless networks maintained at the user equipment, the network list identifying the at least first-type wireless networks and respective associated location information, each respective associated location information identifying a geographic area of operation of a respective at least one of the first-type wireless networks, wherein the location information of the network list comprises second-type-wireless network location information;
• a network-identifier detector configured to detect at the user equipment first-type-wireless-network-identifying information;
• and
• a selector embodied at the user equipment and configured to select a first-type wireless network from among the first-type wireless networks identified by the network list with which to communicate, the selecting made utilizing the second-type-wireless network-transmitted location information, the network list of the at least first-type wireless networks and the associated second-type-wireless network location information, and the first-type-wireless-network-identifying information.

A user equipment comprising:

• a network list identifying at least first-type wireless networks and respective associated location information, each respective associated location information identifying a geographic area of operation of a respective at least one of the first-type wireless networks, wherein the location information of the network list comprises second-type-wireless network location information;
• at least one processor configured to:
• detect second-type-wireless-network-transmitted location information transmitted by a second-type wireless network and that includes at least one of a country code designation and a network code designation of the second-type wireless network, wherein the second-type wireless network operates according to a communication protocol different from a communication protocol of the first-type wireless networks;
• detect first-type-wireless-network-identifying information;
• and
• select a first-type wireless network from among the first-type wireless networks identified by the network list with which to communicate, the selecting based on the second-type-wireless network-transmitted location information, the network list of the at least first-type wireless networks and the associated second-type-wireless network location information, and the first-type-wireless-network-identifying information.