Calling Sprint PCS customer service (* 2) I heard a recording telling
> me to wait for an update to the handset, a Samsung APH-620/VGA-1000.
> That took about a minute before I was in queue for a human.
> Any idea what that was?
Yes, an update to the Preferred Roaming List, which specifies which networks the phone is allowed to use. Always includes the carrier's own networks, and includes roaming networks selected by the carriers - usually the networks run by companies with which your carrier has the most favorable roaming agreements.
This is a CDMA thing. So you'll have PRLs on Verizon, Sprint, Alltel/Western Wireless and US Cellular phones, as well as phones from a few smaller CDMA carriers, GSM uses a different system to identify where the phone is allowed to be used.
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