Patent ID: 7869826

Claim:
A method comprising: storing a system identification that identifies a home service provider for a mobile station; identifying a plurality of system identifications having a common spatial characteristic; storing the identified plurality of system identifications in a memory that is accessible by a mobile station; comparing a system identification received from a wireless service provider to the stored plurality of system identifications; and upon any one of the plurality of stored system identifications matching the received system identification, declaring the wireless service provider as being a home service provider for the mobile station such that the mobile station is assumed to not be roaming and roaming charges are avoided, otherwise, if none of the plurality of stored system identifications matches the received system identification, further comprising comparing a received system operator code to stored system operator codes, including at least one of a partner system operator code, a favored system operator code and a forbidden system operator code and if a match is found between the received system operator code and one of the partner and favored system operator codes, declaring a wireless service provider corresponding to the matched one of the partner and favored system operator codes to be the home service provider.