A method automatically initializes a mobile station during a test between a mobile station and test equipment emulating a single cell of a cellular mobile communication system, wherein the mobile station is initially registered to the cell having a first location area code. First, radio transmission into the cell is terminated by the test equipment. Then, radio transmission is restarted into the cell, but now having a second location area code, wherein the second location area code is different than the first location area code, forcing the mobile station to perform a registration procedure to the cell.