Patent ID: 8694014

Claim:
A method carried out by a wireless communication device (WCD) that is located in a given coverage area operated by a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: the WCD receiving over an air interface from the RAN a channel list message (CLM) that specifies a plurality of channels that the RAN operates on in the given coverage area; the WCD scanning for coverage of each specified channel thereby determining which specified channels the WCD is in coverage of and which specified channels the WCD is not in coverage of; based on the scanning, the WCD determining that the WCD is not within coverage of a first channel-specified in the CLM; the WCD applying a hashing algorithm with respect to the specified channels the WCD is in coverage of thereby identifying a second channel specified in the CLM as the WCD's hashed channel; and in response to the identifying, the WCD registering for service on the second channel.