Method and apparatus for designating administrative responsibilities in a mobile communications device

A new process for determining the administrator of a mobile communications device, e.g., a wireless cellular telephone, two-way pager, or laptop computer, connectable to a telecommunications network. The system and methods described provide processes for determining whether a Subscriber Entity Module (SIM) is present with a digital certificate for a domain of an administrator, e.g., a network operator, for designating administrative responsibilities in a mobile communications device. A mechanism is provided to designate administrative privileges to an entity by the owner of the mobile communications device.