A method includes receiving a carrier switching model, determining that user equipment (UE) is transitioning between carrier cells based on at least one connection performance metric of the UE, and obtaining a current UE location and any available carrier networks of carriers relative to the current UE location. The method also includes determining a carrier switch score for each available carrier network using the carrier switching model and determining to switch carrier networks based on the carrier switch score of a currently-connected available carrier network relative to the carrier switch score of another available carrier network. Each carrier switch score is based on at least one of a predicted signal strength or a predicted radio access technology over a threshold period of time for the respective available carrier network. The method also includes causing the UE to switch connection to the other available carrier network.