Patent ID: 7356338

Claim:
A wireless communication device that locates a wireless service provider in a multi-service provider environment, comprising: a memory that stores a frequency search schedule having a plurality of frequencies in a prioritized order and is configured to store an identifier of a last service provider and a list of preferred service providers; and a processor that after power up of the wireless communications device following a power down thereof compares a last service provider to the list of preferred service providers to determine whether the last service provider was a preferred service provider, the last service provider being a service provider last used before the power down of the wireless communications device, accepts information, modifies the prioritized order of the frequency search schedule based on the information, and examines frequencies in the modified order in the frequency search schedule, until a frequency having a preferred service provider is located, if a last service provider was not a preferred service provider, wherein the processor is configured to remove from the frequency search schedule frequency bands corresponding to a last service provider if the last service provider was a non-preferred service provider.