Location-based network detection

A mobile device establishes communication with a number of wireless cellular networks at particular locations and records the locations and network information associated with the wireless cellular networks. The network information can be used to narrow a search for an available wireless cellular network from a plurality of potentially available wireless cellular networks when the mobile device is operating at a stored location. In one aspect, a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver on a mobile device can receive a broadcast radio signal from a transmitter and use the signal to determine an approximate location of the device based on a known location of the transmitter. A match between the approximate device location and wireless cellular network transmitters in communication range of the mobile device can be used to narrow a search for wireless cellular networks.