BlackBerry Limited
Method and apparatus for simultaneous use of both licensed and unlicensed wireless spectrum

Abstract:

A control circuit determines that a wireless portable electronic device currently being serviced via licensed wireless spectrum should also be served via unlicensed wireless spectrum and then transmits a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to cause the wireless portable electronic device to connect to a network node operating in the unlicensed wireless spectrum. By one approach this control circuit comprises an Evolved Node-B base station in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Access Network (RAN) and the network node operating in the unlicensed wireless spectrum comprises an 802.11-compatible wireless local area network node.