Patent ID: 7366510

Claim:
A method of selecting a communication network by a mobile station associated with a home communication network having a home mobile country code (MCC), the method comprising: selecting and operating with a communication network having a visiting MCC different from the home MCC of the home communication network; setting and running a periodic home public land mobile network (HPLMN) timer in response to operating with the communication network having the visiting MCC; in response to each expiration of the periodic HPLMN timer while operating with the communication network having the visiting MCC: scanning to identify a plurality of communication networks in a coverage area within which the mobile station is operating; receiving, from the step of scanning, a plurality of mobile network code (MNC) and MCC pairs associated with the plurality of communication networks; if the home communication network having the home MCC is identified as being available by the scanning, selecting and operating with the home communication network; and otherwise, if the communication network having the visiting MCC is identified as being available by the scanning, continuing operation with the communication network having the visiting MCC.