# Cell phone service after a move?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-service-after-a-move/818744>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 28, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-service-after-a-move/818744 "2018-07-28T20:14:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-service-after-a-move/818744/21 "2018-07-30T22:39:53Z")

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> [@Grave](#):
>
> This data is current from the Verizon the site. My knowledge of it whether it is useful anymore is several years out of date. Still free to try…
> 
> [Verizon Preferred Roaming List Update](https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/preferred-roaming-list-update-faqs/)
> 
> To complete the Preferred Roaming List update:  
> Call \*228 from your home coverage area.  
> When prompted, select 2 to update your phone’s preferred roaming list. (This process may take up to 2 minutes.)  
> Once completed, a confirmation message will be played, and a message will display on the phone’s screen.
> 
> n.b. - home coverage area would be where the phone ‘lives’ now
> 
> Edit - If a star [\*] call wont go through then its time for a trip to the nearest Verizon store.

Assuming you can get the \*228 to connect, I think this might be the solution. I worked on cell phone refurbish final reprogramming that included updating the PRL to one that was very generic - every phone came in with a specific version of the PRL based on where it was from, while every phone we sent out had to be the exact same PRL version that none of them ever came in with (unless they were never used).

It’s quite possible that her phone has been forced into roaming mode due to remoteness, and the ways it knows to connect to operators according to the PRL it has inside it don’t work where she is now. The cell phone will still be able to receive incoming calls so long as the entire network knows where the phone is, but the phone isn’t programmed correctly to know what to do when it wants to call out and isn’t on its home network.

If the \*228 doesn’t work, she’ll have to take it into a service shop that can update the PRL for her (assuming that’s the problem). (Which is exactly what I quoted, oh well, I’ll repeat it for emphasis…)

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**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-service-after-a-move/818744/22 "2018-07-31T00:20:45Z")

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Thanks folks. Have shared your ideas and the ball is inter court.

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