Abstract: An improved band scan method is claimed which allows a mobile unit to more quickly locate appropriate control channels in a wireless communications system operating on a communications spectrum having channel bands. The method includes storing a list of acceptable service providers in the mobile unit, receiving service provider information identifying the service provider for a particular control channel, receiving minimum acceptable signal strength information for the control channel, determining the acceptability of the service provider by comparing the received service provider information against the acceptable service provider list, and, if the service provider is acceptable, comparing the received signal strength for the control channel against the minimum acceptable level.

Abstract: A method is provided for updating a time-remaining value representative of the time remaining during a predetermined period of time for communication between a mobile communications device and a radio telecommunications network, the mobile communications device having a memory site in which the time-remaining value may be stored. The method has the step of communicating an update request signal from the mobile communications device to the radio telecommunications network. The method also has the step of communicating an initialization value representative of the time remaining within the predetermined period of time for communication between the mobile communications device and the radio telecommunications network from the radio telecommunications network to the mobile communications device in response to the update request signal. The method has the further step of storing the initialization value in the memory site.