A system and method for managing communications in a mobile terminal selects a serving cell of a first PLMN for the mobile terminal, monitors signal strengths of neighboring cells in at least a second PLMN, classifies the neighboring cells as signal-receivable cells and signal non-receivable cells based on the monitored signal strengths, determines whether cell reselection is required, searches for state information corresponding only to the signal-receivable neighboring cells, and selecting one of the same receiving cell or one of the signal-receivable neighboring cells as a new serving cell. By searching only a pre-stored list of signal-receivable cells instead of all neighboring cells around the mobile terminal, the time for reselecting a cell during mobile terminal operation is significantly reduced.