Abstract: Tone generating apparatus for a cellular telephone simulates those tones normally sensed by a user of a conventional land-line telephone. The cellular telephone is adapted to communicate with a base station via a service provider which provides different types of service, such as HOME service, ROAM service, or alternate HOME service. A progress tone generator is actuable to generate for the user selected dial tone indications as a function of the detected type of service provided by the service provider. In addition, when the keypad of the cellular telephone is operated, digit tones identifying the actuation of the respective keys are generated as is digit data which represents those keys; the digit data being transmitted to the base station to dial a respective telephone number. A warning indication, such as a distinctive tone, is generated in the event that the digit data does not represent a valid telephone number.

Abstract: A method for secure and prompt distribution of critical operational information to a wireless cellular or PCS subscriber station via wireless interface which includes the steps of generating operational information, storing the operational information into a first memory of a wireless base station, and transmitting at least a portion of the operational information stored in the first memory to a wireless subscriber station via a wireless interface at random times during an active conversation state of the wireless subscriber station. The operational information stored in a second memory register in the subscriber station is updated with the operational information transmitted from the first memory. Where at least a portion of new operational information is received by the subscriber station, a first update counter is incremented to reflect the number of operational information updates received by the subscriber station.