Embodiments described herein may help to provide a delayed zone-update process. An exemplary method may involve a user entity, which is initially operating in a first of a plurality of multi-coverage-area zones in a radio access network (RAN), subsequently determining that the user entity has moved into a second multi-coverage-area zone of the RAN, wherein the user entity is located in a first coverage area of the second multi-coverage-area zone. In response, the user entity may refrain from sending a registration message to register in the second multi-coverage-area zone until the earlier of: (i) a threshold period of time elapsing and (ii) the user entity moving into another coverage area in the second multi-coverage-area zone that is different from the first coverage area.