A method of operating a mobile communications network , the method comprising the steps performed by an apparatus of the network: a) in response to a mobile terminal losing a first connection with a first network base station and then making a second connection with a second network base station , determining a network search parameter value for the mobile terminal, wherein the network search parameter value represents a period with which the mobile terminal will perform periodic searches for its home mobile network; b) transmitting the network search parameter value to the mobile terminal; c) periodically re-determining the value of the network search parameter if the mobile terminal is still connected with the second network base station; and d) transmitting the network search parameter value determined in step c) to the mobile terminal; wherein: i) the first network base station comprises a femtocell associated with the home mobile network; ii) the second network base station comprises a macrocell associated with a visited mobile network; iii) the area covered by the macrocell comprises a plurality of femtocells located therein; and iv) the value of the network search parameter is determined in accordance with the location of the mobile terminal such that the determined value of the network search parameter is higher when the location of the mobile terminal is outside of the expected coverage of the femtocell associated with the home mobile network than when the location of the mobile terminal is in an expected edge region of said femtocell, and higher when the location of the mobile terminal is in the expected edge region of said femtocell than when the location of the mobile terminal is within the expected coverage of said femtocell; the method further comprising determining the location of the mobile terminal on a periodic basis. a) in response to a mobile terminal losing a first connection with a first network base station and then making a second connection with a second network base station , determining a network search parameter value for the mobile terminal, wherein the network search parameter value represents a period with which the mobile terminal will perform periodic searches for its home mobile network; b) transmitting the network search parameter value to the mobile terminal; c) periodically re-determining the value of the network search parameter if the mobile terminal is still connected with the second network base station; and d) transmitting the network search parameter value determined in step c) to the mobile terminal; i) the first network base station comprises a femtocell associated with the home mobile network; ii) the second network base station comprises a macrocell associated with a visited mobile network; iii) the area covered by the macrocell comprises a plurality of femtocells located therein; and iv) the value of the network search parameter is determined in accordance with the location of the mobile terminal such that the determined value of the network search parameter is higher when the location of the mobile terminal is outside of the expected coverage of the femtocell associated with the home mobile network than when the location of the mobile terminal is in an expected edge region of said femtocell, and higher when the location of the mobile terminal is in the expected edge region of said femtocell than when the location of the mobile terminal is within the expected coverage of said femtocell; <EOS>