Enhanced method and system for programming a mobile telephone over the air within a mobile telephone communication network

A mobile telephone comprising:

• means for establishing a communication path with an over-the-air function of a servicing mobile telephone communication network, wherein the communication path includes an over the air path between the mobile telephone and a servicing base transceiver station;
• means for receiving a request from the over-the-air function via the communication path, wherein the request interrogates the mobile telephone's operating capabilities;
• means for responding to the over-the-air function via the communication path with a protocol capability response message that describes band and mode capabilities of the mobile telephone;
• and
• means for receiving operational parameters from the over-the-air function via the communication path, wherein the operational parameters include a preferred roaming list and a number assignment module indicator block that are based upon the band and mode capabilities of the mobile telephone.

A mobile telephone comprising:

• a case;
• an antenna coupled to the case that supports wireless communications with a servicing base transceiver station;
• wherein the mobile telephone establishes a communication path with an over-the-air function of a servicing mobile telephone communication network, wherein the communication path includes a wireless path between the mobile telephone and the servicing base transceiver station;
• wherein the mobile telephone receives a request from the over-the-air function via the communication path, wherein the request interrogates the mobile telephone's operating capabilities;
• wherein the mobile telephone responds to the over-the-air function via the communication path with a protocol capability response message that describes band and mode capabilities of the mobile telephone;
• and
• wherein the mobile telephone receives operational parameters from the over-the-air function via the communication path, wherein the operational parameters include a preferred roaming list and a number assignment module indicator block that are based upon the band and mode capabilities of the mobile telephone.