A method for performing cell re-selection in a cellular network includes a subscriber terminal measuring received powers of neighbor cells in accordance with system information received from a current cell, selecting one of the neighbor cells as a new cell, the subscriber terminal receiving a part of the system information sent by the new cell, calculating the time used for receiving the system information of the new cell by employing the length information in the system information part sent by the new cell, and deciding whether to continue the re-selection of said new cell on the basis of the calculated time.