Wow this is good discussion…
Pan you said:
“The only thing that will force MS to select HPLMN from VPLMN Foreign country is suitable cell absence in VPLMN. Suitable cell definition – see GSM 03.22.”
Now if you see Jean comments the subs MSs are at coast. If you read my comment to Pix you will see I gave example coast location in UK. What I see is, what made MS where sub in own country select VPLMN in another country? In this case it is the location like coastline where this can occur, and as there can be absence of suitable cells for VPLMN…hence MS search for HPLMN where abundance of cells are available.
Pan, in answer to your reply 1, 2 and 3.
1) Yes I know this as after SIM activation following power up the ME reads SIM EFIMSI and EFLOCI (GSM11.11). What is being discussed is as above re: border, in this case at coast. The MS will see VPLMN but as absence of VPLMN cells can search HPLMN. I also gave another illustration about re-scanning of SI2 in fringe coverage in rural area (re: T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone). It doesn’t follow that SI5 will follow.
2) The point I raised earlier, if using -110dBm as HPLMN backstop and VPLMN uses same (-110dBm) then the VPLMN & HPLMN RxLv_Acc_Min will be equal for both, one not lower than the other. How then you overcome the problem? I think sub who ‘live’ or ‘work’ in area will not be happy and be angry to be forced to continually manually select network… I don’t think this is best option.
3) I have answered this in post to Pix earlier.
I agree PLMNsel and FPLMN they are separate EFs in SIM. However, data are shared from EF to EF. When a MCC/MNC in the EF PLMNsel can no longer be used and sub attempts to use that MCC/MNC the MS can be barred from attempting using it and the the record of MCC/MNC attempt appears in the Forbidden list. That is the point of FPLMN.
A detected MCC/MNC not in EF PLMNsel nothing may happen to populate that MCC/MNC data to appear in EF FPLMN. However, where MS attempts to select auto or manually the MCC/MNC for call the network signals MS that MCC/MNC barred the barred MCC/MNC can be updated to EF FPLMN.
But as Jean say they have agreements about cell arrangements with VPLMN operator. So maybe BSIC+CI+BCCH+Pwrlvl+??? they come to some agreement.