What Does *228 Do On US Cellular mean: [explained] - Robot Powered Home (2024)

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I had an old CDMA phone from US Cellular, which I thought I could lend to my cousin’s son because he wanted a phone to call home.

I reactivated the plan and decided to see if the *228 code that updated network settings worked.

Fearing that I might permanently disable the phone, I decided to research and see if the code still works now and if it’s safe to do.

To do this, I went through US Cellular’s support documentation and a few forum posts where people had been discussing the viability of the code.

All the information that I was able to gather helped me a lot in figuring out what *228 did and made me understand its relevance today.

The guide is a result of that research, and you should be able to know what the code does and if it still works today on US Cellular.

*228 is a code for CDMA phones that you call dial to update your Preferred Roaming List. You won’t need to dial this number on a GSM device because your PRL is updated automatically.

Read on to find out what CDMA’s situation currently is and how it compares to GSM.

What Does *228 Do?

*228 is a legacy code that you could use to update the carrier settings, specifically, the Preferred Roaming List, on a CDMA phone.

Verizon, US Cellular, and old Sprint used these codes to let you update these settings on your own without needing you to go to the local store.

The code functions like any other code that you can dial, where your carrier knows the phone is asking for the update when you dial this number, and consequently, the update gets sent out.

Carriers introduced this to improve the user experience and having the convenience of updating network settings turned out to be pretty important in that regard.

What Is A Preferred Roaming List?

A Preferred Roaming List or PRL is a list or database of towers that the CDMA phone can connect to the network.

This is only used by CDMA devices because it’s a part of their protocol to find and connect to the nearest towers.

The PRL is the database that lets the phone know what towers are your carriers and what towers are owned by another carrier.

This means that your phone can connect to the nearest tower that your carrier owns, which wouldn’t necessarily be the strongest.

As more towers are added and the network expands, keeping the PRL updated is vital to give your phone the best cell coverage possible.

Newer technologies like GSM don’t need to update their PRL because the updates are pushed automatically to you.

CDMA vs. GSM

This sparks the question of what the difference is between CDMA and GSM.

The most recognizable and widely known difference is that CDMA doesn’t need a SIM card, whereas GSM requires it.

SIM cards store data related to your phone number and network connection so that you can get authenticated and connected to your carrier’s network.

CDMA doesn’t need a SIM because all this information is stored on the phone.

This has the inherent disadvantage that you won’t be able to use two phones with the same number by swapping out a SIM card like you would with two GSM phones.

If you’re traveling internationally, GSM phones allow you to use your carrier unlocked phone with a local SIM, where you will be forced to use your carrier’s roaming services with CDMA.

These are just some of the most important differences that you need to understand between the two.

Why PRLs Aren’t A Thing Anymore

As of 2021, there aren’t any active CDMA carriers in the United States since all carriers had moved to the better and faster LTE, which is light years ahead of even GSM when it comes to network speed and call quality.

Upgrading to 4G LTE or the newer 5G is always better because you won’t need to update your roaming lists, and the internet data speeds and voice call quality is many, many miles ahead.

Alongside expanding their 5G and 4G LTE networks, carriers have begun to wind down their older 2G and 3G infrastructure and bring it down just enough only to support devices like vending machines.

This means that 3G and 2G coverage will take a big hit, and combined with the slower than average speeds compared with 4G, the older standards will become nearly unusable.

Is This Code Relevant Now?

Instead of using this code, I’d recommend that you make the upgrade to the more new and modern 4G or 5G network.

Popular carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have pretty attractive 5G and 4G plans, and if you want something more local, you have Straight Talk or Mint that offers pretty good plans at competitive prices.

This code won’t work on any other device other than a CDMA phone, and since those mainly were completely phased out by now, the code won’t help with coverage issues.

Final Thoughts

Older phones that were on the CDMA network can no longer be activated due to the newer standards being adopted.

Older GSM phones can also be activated, but make sure that it supports 4G before you do because some carriers have stopped activating 3G connections on their network.

CDMA is a pretty old network, and it shows when you see what speeds CDMA devices can get on the internet versus something like a 4G or 5G connection.

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• How Do I Update My Towers For Straight Talk? Complete Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I update my US Cellular Network?

You used to update your US Cellular network connection with the code *228, but now that CDMA is almost completely phased out, updating networks are always done automatically.

What towers does US Cellular use?

US Cellular only has about 10% of coverage with their own networks, so they lease towers from Verizon and AT&T to get their service all across the US.

Is US Cellular CDMA or GSM?

US Cellular used to use CDMA phones, but now that everyone’s moved to 4G and higher, US Cellular has also moved to GSM.

Can I use a GSM phone on US Cellular?

If your US Cellular phone is a GSM device and is carrier unlocked, you can use any carrier’s GSM SIM card with the phone.