PLMN selection

4.4.3 PLMN selection

The ME shall utilise all the information stored in the SIM related to the PLMN selection; e.g. “HPLMN Selector with Access Technology”, “Operator controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology”, “User Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology”, “Forbidden PLMNs”, “Equivalent HPLMN”, see 3GPP TS 31.102 [40].

The “HPLMN Selector with Access Technology”, “User Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology” and “Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology” data files in the SIM include associated access technologies for each PLMN entry, see 3GPP TS 31.102 [40].

The PLMN/access technology combinations are listed in priority order:
1).If an entry indicates more than one access technology, then no priority is defined for the access technologies within this entry and the priority applied to each access technology within this entry is an implementation issue（每个RAT对应的优先级可以由厂商自己定）.
2).If no particular access technology is indicated in an entry, it shall be assumed that all access technologies supported by the ME apply to the entry.
3).If an entry only indicates access technologies not supported by the ME, the entry shall be ignored.
4).If an entry indicates at least one access technology supported by the ME, the entry shall be used in the PLMN selection procedures if the other criteria defined for the specific PLMN selection procedures are fulfilled.

The UE stores a list of “equivalent PLMNs”. This list is replaced or deleted at the end of each location update procedure, routing area update procedure, GPRS attach procedure, tracking area update procedure and EPS attach procedure. The list is deleted by an MS attached for emergency bearer services after detach. The stored list consists of a list of equivalent PLMNs as downloaded by the network plus the PLMN code of the registered PLMN that downloaded the list(所以eplmn和rplmn是一个对等的状态). All PLMNs in the stored list, in all access technologies supported by the PLMN, are regarded as equivalent to each other for PLMN selection, cell selection/re-selection and handover.
在附着接受里会广播eplmn列表，UE收到后保存在eplmn列表里。eplmn主要用来做inter-PLMN小区重选。当ue移动到一个和当前PLMN不同的小区时，会检查这个PLMN是否属于EPLMN，如果是就做 位置区更新或者路由区更新，而不是IMSI attach。下面引用写得比较清楚

A key 3GPP feature available to idle UEs is the “Equivalent PLMNs”
mechanism. The Equivalent PLMN (ePLMN in this document) feature has
been introduced in Spring 2001 within the 3GPP R99 specifications. It
can be seen has an extension of the HPLMN concept to a set of PLMNs
considered by the MS as equivalent (i.e. having the same priority) for
network selection, cell reselection and handover. When a subscriber is
moving to a cell with a different (but equivalent) PLMN Identity, the
mobile will perform a Routing/Location Area Update on the new network
instead of IMSI Attach. This will allow the successful transfer of any
active PDP contexts to the new SGSN of the new equivalent PLMN as per
normal RA update procedures.

Therefore ePLMN mainly allows: ·
To support inter PLMN cell re-selection (cell reselection is natively an intra PLMN procedure) ·
To maintain an active PDP context in case of GPRS to UMTS inter PLMN mobility

A list of ePLMN is sent to the MS by the MSC or SGSN, from the
registered PLMN, at each Location Area Update, Routing Area Update and
IMSI Attach procedures via a dedicated signalling connection. The list
is thus provided as a dedicated message, the network does not
broadcast it. Moreover, the ePLMN list is provisioned within the MSC
and SGSN, i.e. it is not subscription information provisioned within
the HLR. If no list is received during a LAU, RAU or IMSI Attach
procedure, the former stored list (if any) is deleted by the MS.

The UE stores the ePLMN list on its SIM and derives the list of
forbidden PLMNs (i.e. not part of the ePLMN list). While in idle mode,
UE listens to SIB18 (if available) to receive the PLMN identity of
neighbouring cells to be considered for cell reselection. The UE
checks the SIB18 information and compare it with the forbidden PLMN
list. Then the UE will measure only the neighbouring cells with PLMN
IDs different from the forbidden PLMNs. Therefore SIB18 information
will prevent UE from unnecessary measurements of forbidden cells.

If SIB18 is not supported (current UMTS-03 implementation at RNC), UE
will listen to the broadcast channel of all neighbouring cells in
order to decode theirs PLMN IDs, compare them with the forbidden PLMNs
and decide which are the suitable cells for reselection.

When the MS reselects to a cell in a shared network（对应上面提到的eplmn）,and the cell is a suitable cell for multiple PLMN identities The MS shall choose one of these PLMNs. If the registered PLMN is available among these PLMNs, the MS shall not choose a different PLMN.
当ms重选到一个共享小区时，且这个共享小区可以允许多个PLMN接入，则手机从这些PLMN的列表里选择一个PLMN来接入。如果当前RPLMN属于这个列表，则还是用这个RPLMN来接入。

The MS shall not use the PLMN codes contained in the “HPLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file.

It is possible for the home network operator to identify alternative Network IDs as the HPLMN. If the EHPLMN list is present, and not empty, the entries in the EHPLMN list are used in the network selection procedures. if the EHPLMN list is not present, the HPLMN derived from the IMSI is used for network selection procedures.
network operator 可以识别可替代的网络ID。如果EHPLMN列表存在且非空，则用这个列表来选择网络；如果EHPLMN不存在或者空，则IMSI里的PLMN code用来选择网络，而相应的RAT，通过读取”HPLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file 来获取。

NOTE 1: The “HPLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file is only used by the MS to get the HPLMN access technologies related to the HPLMN code which corresponds to the PLMN code included in the IMSI if the EHPLMN list is not present or is empty. If the EHPLMN list is present then this data field is applicable to all the entries within the EHPLMN list.
注意1： “HPLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file这个文件主要用来确定接入技术。当EHPLMN不存在时使用。搜网使用的PLMN为IMSI里的plmn，接入技术从HPLMN Selector with Access Technology里读取；当EHPLMN存在时，里面所有的PLMN对应的搜索接入技术都从”HPLMN Selector with Access Technology”里读取

当HPLMN在EHPLMN里时，HPLMN的搜网优先级根据他在EHPLMN列表中的位置来确定

4.4.3.1 At switch‑on or recovery from lack of coverage

At switch on, or following recovery from lack of coverage, the MS selects the registered PLMN or equivalent PLMN (if it is available) using all access technologies that the MS is capable of and if necessary attempts to perform a Location Registration.

EXCEPTION: As an alternative option to this, if the MS is in automatic network selection mode and it finds coverage of an EHPLMN, the MS may register to that EHPLMN and not return to the registered PLMN or equivalent PLMN. If the EHPLMN list is not present or is empty, and the HPLMN is available, the MS may register on the HPLMN and not return to the registered PLMN or equivalent PLMN. The operator shall be able to control by SIM configuration whether an MS that supports this option is permitted to perform this alternative behaviour.

If successful registration is achieved, the MS indicates the selected PLMN.

If there is no registered PLMN, or if registration is not possible due to the PLMN being unavailable or registration failure：
1、At switch on, if the MS provides the optional feature of user preferred PLMN selection operating mode then this operating mode shall be used.
2、Otherwise, the MS shall use the PLMN selection mode that was used before switching off.

4.4.3.1.1 Automatic Network Selection Mode Procedure

The MS selects and attempts registration on other PLMN/access technology combinations, if available and allowable, in the following order:

i) either the HPLMN (if the EHPLMN list is not present or is empty) or the highest priority EHPLMN that is available (if the EHPLMN list is present) ;

ii) each PLMN/access technology combination in the “User Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file in the SIM (in priority order);

iii) each PLMN/access technology combination in the “Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology” data file in the SIM (in priority order);

iv) other PLMN/access technology combinations with received high quality signal in random order;

v) other PLMN/access technology combinations in order of decreasing signal quality.