Prevention of overreach condition in cellular communication

A method of communicating between a selected base station and a digital control module of a mobile station comprising:

• scanning a preferred roaming list of a plurality of base stations from a beginning of the preferred roaming list using the mobile station;
• transmitting a first downlink signal from a first base station of the plurality of base stations to the mobile station;
• determining that the downlink signal into the mobile station from the first base station has been received using the mobile station;
• transmitting an uplink signal from the mobile station to the first base station when it is determined that the downlink signal from the first base station has been received;
• determining that a condition of overreach exists between the first base station and the mobile station only when the uplink signal is not acknowledged using the first base station;
• excluding the first base station from the preferred roaming list for which the condition of overreach exists;
• re-scanning the preferred roaming list for a second base station of the plurality of base stations, the second base station being different than the first base station;
• transmitting a second downlink signal from the second base station to the mobile station;
• determining that the second downlink signal into the mobile station from the second base station has not been received using the mobile station;
• determining whether a third base station of the plurality of base stations exists on the preferred roaming list using the mobile station;
• and
• determining that the third base station does not exist on the preferred roaming list using the mobile station;
• inquiring whether a vehicle ignition is off upon determining that the third base station does not exist.