In a cellular telecommunications network, geographical restriction is stored for a mobile subscriber in the subscriber's record (100A, 100B, 100C, 100D) in a database at a node of the network, preferably at a home location register [HLR] (24). In accordance with one mode of the invention, the mobile station is permitted to operate only in cells identified in the subscriber's record in the HLR. In accordance with this mode, only applicable cells listed in the subscriber's record are paged when a call is direct to the mobile station, and the mobile station can only originate calls and sustain calls from such cells. In a variation of this mode, calls originated by the mobile station in the applicable cells listed in the subscriber's record can be sustained when the mobile station travels into non-applicable cells. In accordance with another mode known as “soft” restriction, a first (e.g., reduced) tariff is applied to calls originated and received in cells listed in a geographical restriction field of the subscriber's record in the home location register, with calls to and from other cells being permitted at a second (e.g., standard) tariff.