In this paper, we evaluate the roaming time performance for a reconfigurable multi‐mode mobile station (MS) that experiences possible transition from one kind of wireless system standard to another. In future software defined radio systems (SDR) (IEEE Commun Mag 2000; 138–143, IEE 1998; 1–6, IEEE 1999; 1212–1216, IEEE Commun Mag 1995; 33), reconfigurability of the MS is achieved by downloading the system configuration software code over the wireless channel. For evaluation of the roaming times, a generalized state diagram of the multi‐mode MS is presented. We focus on evaluating the times for sensing the universal pilot channel, classic base station pilot channel, association and connection establishment signaling are included. We investigate the effects of packet successful transmission probability over the wireless channel. We also consider the effects of the system resource blocking probability, MS resource blocking probability, and signaling bit rate over the universal base station channel for different cases and design scenarios. Such evaluations are important for prior design of SDR mobile terminal and universal base station in global roaming situations. We include some analysis results from many obtained. These show the feasibility of wireless software download, and switching between different wireless standard as the mobile station roams. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.