Mobile Virtual Network Enabler

Mobile Virtual Network Enabler A Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (or MVNE) is a company that provides services to MVNOs, such as billing, network element provisioning, administration, operations, support of base station subsystems and operations support systems, and provision of back end network elements, to enable provision of mobile network services like cellular phone connectivity. A MVNE does not have a relationship with end-user customers. Instead, an MVNE provides infrastructure and services to enable MVNOs to offer services and have a relationship with end-user customers. MVNEs offer the ability for an MVNO to focus on their core strengths of brand, customer loyalty and marketing and leave the back-end enablement to MVNEs. They also have shared risk-reward arrangements with the MVNO with various kinds of revenue sharing models, usually tied to the number of subscribers that the MVNO has projected in their business plan. From a systems standpoint, designing MVNEs is a complex process that includes taking commercial off-the-shelf applications and converting them to work in a multi-tenancy model in a seamless fashion. According to Pyramid Research, there are three main categories of enablers, according to their MVNO solutions: Aggregator MVNEs: these offer consulting and integration services and have bundled all of the back-office network components through alliances. These promote their ability to quickly provide order-to-cash solutions to MVNOs. Companies include Ztar and TMNG. Aggregator MVNEs with their own platforms: this includes aggregators which have developed one or more back-office solutions internally, and have complemented them with partnerships to provide end-to-end enablement services. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions. Specialised Enablers: these offer only parts of the back-office network such as messaging platforms, data platforms and billing solutions. They are not solely focused on the MVNO market. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions, Tyntec and Convergys. The voice-centric, operationally "light" MVNOs of today have generally worked with an aggregator MVNE that managed the limited back-end operations on behalf of the MVNO. The new breed high-end, strong brand MVNO is transforming the dynamics of the MVNE market. Besides leveraging their own existing assets, they choose to own more of their platforms, particularly their logistics, distribution and customer care systems. They still work with MVNEs, but they tend to opt for specialised ones with best-of-breed solutions and a strong reputation.

[edit] References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MVNE

Mobile Virtual Network Enabler From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from MVNE) Jump to: navigation, search A Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (or MVNE) is a company that provides services to MVNOs, such as billing, network element provisioning, administration, operations, support of base station subsystems and operations support systems, and provision of back end network elements, to enable provision of mobile network services like cellular phone connectivity. A MVNE does not have a relationship with end-user customers. Instead, an MVNE provides infrastructure and services to enable MVNOs to offer services and have a relationship with end-user customers. MVNEs offer the ability for an MVNO to focus on their core strengths of brand, customer loyalty and marketing and leave the back-end enablement to MVNEs. They also have shared risk-reward arrangements with the MVNO with various kinds of revenue sharing models, usually tied to the number of subscribers that the MVNO has projected in their business plan. From a systems standpoint, designing MVNEs is a complex process that includes taking commercial off-the-shelf applications and converting them to work in a multi-tenancy model in a seamless fashion. According to Pyramid Research, there are three main categories of enablers, according to their MVNO solutions: Aggregator MVNEs: these offer consulting and integration services and have bundled all of the back-office network components through alliances. These promote their ability to quickly provide order-to-cash solutions to MVNOs. Companies include Ztar and TMNG. Aggregator MVNEs with their own platforms: this includes aggregators which have developed one or more back-office solutions internally, and have complemented them with partnerships to provide end-to-end enablement services. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions.

Specialised Enablers: these offer only parts of the back-office network such as messaging platforms, data platforms and billing solutions. They are not solely focused on the MVNO market. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions, Tyntec and Convergys. The voice-centric, operationally "light" MVNOs of today have generally worked with an aggregator MVNE that managed the limited back-end operations on behalf of the MVNO. The new breed high-end, strong brand MVNO is transforming the dynamics of the MVNE market. Besides leveraging their own existing assets, they choose to own more of their platforms, particularly their logistics, distribution and customer care systems. They still work with MVNEs, but they tend to opt for specialised ones with best-of-breed solutions and a strong reputation.

[edit] References

Mobile virtual network operator From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Jump to: navigation, search A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a company that provides mobile phone service but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service.[1] A company that does have frequency allocation(s) and all the required infrastructure to run an independent mobile network is known simply as a Mobile Network Operator (MNO). MVNOs are roughly equivalent to the "switchless resellers" of the traditional landline telephone market. Switchless resellers buy minutes wholesale from the large long distance companies and retail them to their customers. MNO that does not have a frequency spectrum allocation in a particular geographical region may operate as an MVNO in that region. MVNOs can operate using any of the mobile technologies MNOs use, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).An The first commercially successful MVNO in the UK was Virgin Mobile UK,[2] launched in the United Kingdom in 1999 and now has over 4 million customers in the UK. Its success was replicated in the US, but ventures in Australia have not been so successful, and failed in Singapore, albeit with a different strategy. An MVNO's roles and relationship to the MNO vary by market, country and the individual situations of the MNO and MVNO. In general, an MVNO is an entity or company that works independently of the mobile network operator and can set its own pricing structures, subject to the rates agreed with the MNO. Usually, the MVNO does not own any GSM, CDMA or other core mobile network related infrastructure, such as

Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs), or a radio access network. Some may own their own Home Location Register, or HLR, which allows more flexibility and ownership of the subscriber's mobile phone number (MSISDN) - in this case, the MVNO appears as a roaming partner to other networks abroad, and as a "network" within its own region. Some MVNOs run their own Billing and Customer Care solutions known as BSS (Business Support Systems). Many use an MVNE. There is a distinction between MVNOs and service providers. MVNOs refer to mobile operators who are not licensed radio frequency holders and lease radio frequency from MNOs in order to set up their mobile virtual networks. By these virtual networks they act similar as genuine MNOs in the sense that they can have their own SIM-cards which are different from the SIM-cards of the MNOs who lease those frequencies and they can also conclude interconnection agreements with MNOs or MVNOs. Based on their virtual networks they can either provide wholesale services to their retail arms, or sell wholesale services to mobile service providers. By contrast, service providers are companies that purchase wholesale mobile minutes and resell to end-users. Normally they do not have their own SIM-cards that are provided by their hosting MNOs or MVNOs. The services provided by service providers depend on the services of the hosting MNOs or MVNOs. In addition, interconnection of service providers is carried out by their hosting MNOs or MVNOs.[3]

Contents [hide] • • • • •

1 MVNOs Classification and Marketing strategies 2 MVNOs in the World 3 MVNO, MVNE and Beyond 4 Legislation 5 See also

•

6 References

[edit] MVNOs Classification and Marketing strategies •

Discount MVNOs provide cut-price call rates to market segments.

•

Lifestyle MVNOs like Helio focus on specific niche market demographics.

•

Advertising-funded MVNOs like Blyk or MOSH Mobile build revenues from advertising to give a set amount of free voice, text and content to their subscribers.

There are three primary motivations for mobile operators to allow MVNOs on their networks. These are generally:

•

Segmentation-Driven Strategies – mobile operators often find it difficult to succeed in all customer segments. MVNOs are a way to implement a more specific marketing mix, whether alone or with partners and they can help attack specific, targeted segments.

•

Network Utilisation-Driven Strategies – Many mobile operators have capacity, product and segment needs – especially in new areas like 3G. An MVNO strategy can generate economies of scale for better network utilisation.

•

Product-Driven Strategies – MVNOs can help mobile operators target customers with specialised service requirements and get to customer niches that mobile operators cannot get to.

MVNO models mean lower operational costs for mobile operators (billing, sales, customer service, marketing), help fight churn, grow average revenue per user by providing new applications and tariff plans and also can help with difficult issues like how to deal with fixed-mobile convergence by allowing MVNOs to try out more experimental projects and applications. The opportunity for mobile operators to take advantage of MVNOs generally outweighs the competitive threat.

[edit] MVNOs in the World There are currently approximately 360 planned or operational MVNOs world-wide according to consultancy firm Takashi Mobile. Countries including Algeria,The Netherlands, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, Australia and United States have the most MVNOs. In these countries the MVNO marketplace is stabilizing and there are some well-known MVNO successes. Other countries, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, the Baltics, India, Chile and Austria are just beginning to launch MVNO business models. Where there are many MVNOs in a single country, it is difficult for new entrants as the overall marketplace is highly saturated. Blycroft Publishing announced that there were roughly 230 active MVNOs, as of June 2006. The MVNOs contained within their MVNO market study vary from consumerdriven MVNOs to enterprise and data-focused operations. It is a common misconception that MVNOs only target the consumer markets. Examples of a non-consumer MVNO being Wireless Maingate and white, M2M data based MVNOs. It is correct that the majority of MVNOs are consumer-focused and most have a focus on price sensitivity as their unique selling point. It is now widely thought that the future development of MVNOs as an industry is within enterprise market developments and M2M markets.

[edit] MVNO, MVNE and Beyond The industry is going through stages characterized by alphabet soup nomenclature, including MVNO, rMVNO (roaming virtual networks), and MVNE (so-called Mobile Virtual Network Enabler). Most industry observers believe that over time, consolidation

will take place on the market, while others will go out of business (examples are Disney Mobile in the USA or debitel in France). One specific sector of MVNO operations focuses on international, or roaming Mobile Virtual Network Operators (rMVNO). These are distinct from domestic MVNO agreements and are intended to provide transparency of international tariffs. According to Pyramid Research, there are three main categories of MVNEs, according to their MVNO solutions: Aggregator MVNEs: these offer consulting and integration services and have bundled all of the back-office network components through alliances. These promote their ability to quickly provide order-to-cash solutions to MVNOs. Companies include Ztar and TMNG. Aggregator MVNEs with their own platforms: this includes aggregators which have developed one or more back-office solutions internally, and have complemented them with partnerships to provide end-to-end enablement services. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions. Specialised Enablers: these offer only parts of the back-office network such as messaging platforms, data platforms and billing solutions. They are not solely focused on the MVNO market. Companies include ASPIDER Solutions, Tyntec and Convergys. The voice-centric, operationally "light" MVNOs of today have generally worked with an aggregator MVNE that managed the limited back-end operations on behalf of the MVNO. The new breed high-end, strong brand MVNO is transforming the dynamics of the MVNE market. Besides leveraging their own existing assets, they choose to own more of their platforms, particularly their logistics, distribution and customer care systems. They still work with MVNEs, but they tend to opt for specialised ones with best-of-breed solutions and a strong reputation. Exploiting the wireless IP networks competing infrastructure bandwidth with low traffic due to the lack of Mobile Driven Content, such as GPRS, EVDO , along with specific domain knowledge software applications with specific content, other Global Service or specialized application based MVNO are also growing. These companies are pushing their own business model as content driven MVNO. They usually host their services in one location, and provide access to their content in different countries via specialized Mobiles and existing IP coverage.

[edit] Legislation Presently many companies and regulatory bodies are strongly in favour of MVNOs. For example, in 2003, the European Commission issued a recommendation to national telecom regulators (NRAs) to examine the competitiveness of the market for wholesale

access and call origination on public mobile telephone networks. The study resulted in new legislation from NRAs in countries like Ireland and France that forces operators to open up their network to MVNOs.

[edit] See also

MSISDN From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search MSISDN is a number uniquely identifying a subscription in a GSM or UMTS mobile network. Simply put, it is the telephone number to the SIM card in a mobile/cellular phone. The abbreviation has several interpretations, most common one being "Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number"[1].. The MSISDN together with IMSI are two important numbers used to identify a mobile phone. IMSI is often used as a key in the HLR ("subscriber database") and MSISDN is the number normally dialed to connect a call to the mobile phone. The MSISDN follows the numbering plan defined in the ITU-T recommendation E.164.

Contents [hide]

• •

1 Abbreviation 2 MSISDN Format o 2.1 Example 3 See also 4 External links

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5 References

• •

[edit] Abbreviation Depending on source or standardization body, the abbreviation MSISDN can be written out in several different ways. These are today the most widespread and common in use.

Organizatio n

Meaning

Vocabulary for 3GPP Specifications (new)[2]

3GPP ITU OMA

Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number ITU-T Rec. Q.1741-4 (10/2005)[3] Dictionary for OMA Specifications [4] GSM 03.03 (old)[5]

3GPP ITU GSMA ITU

Source

Mobile Station International ISDN Number(s) ITU-T Rec. Q.1741-4 (10/2005)[3] Mobile Terms & Acronyms[6] Mobile Subscriber International ISDN Number

Vocabulary of Switching and Signalling Terms [7]

[edit] MSISDN Format MSISDN is maximized to 15 digits, prefixes not included (e.g. 00 prefixes an international MSISDN when dialling from Sweden). In GSM and its variant DCS 1800, MSISDN is built up as MSISDN = CC + NDC + SN CC = Country Code NDC = National Destination Code, identifies one or part of a PLMN SN = Subscriber Number

In the GSM variant PCS 1900, MSISDN is built up as MSISDN = CC + NPA + SN CC = Country Code NPA = Number Planning Area SN = Subscriber Number

[edit] Example MSISDN: 467011234567890 CC 46 NDC 701

Sweden TeliaSonera

SN 1234567890 John Doe

For further information on the MSISDN format, see the ITU-T specification E.164.

[edit] See also • • • • • • • •

E.164 IMSI SIM card Mobile phone IMEI GSM HLR E.214

[edit] External links • • • •

http://www.3gpp.org, GSM 03.03 (see section 3.3) http://www.openmobilealliance.org http://www.itu.int, E.164, E.212, E.213, E.214 http://www.gsmworld.com

[edit] References 1. ^ The conclusion ("most common") is drawn from the recent documentation from 3GPP and OMA, please see the Abbreviation section above 2. ^ 3GPP Vocabulary 3. ^ a b ITU-T Q.1741-4 4. ^ OMA Dictionary 5. ^ GSM 03.03 6. ^ GSMA Acronyms 7. ^ ITU Vocabulary Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSISDN"

My understanding is as follows: Normal MSISDN is of the format: CC NDC SN MSISDN for WLL subscribers is of the format: CC LAC SN . I could see that, E.164 specification explains about the format: CC NDC SN But, I could not find any standard which explains about the MSISDN format i.e.CC LAC SN, for WLL subscribers.

Could you please help?

International Mobile Subscriber Identity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search Mobile communication standards

GSM / UMTS (3GPP) Family

GSM (2G) • • •

GPRS EDGE (EGPRS) o EDGE Evolution CSD o

HSCSD

UMTS (3G) •

•

•

HSPA o HSDPA o HSUPA o HSPA+ UMTS-TDD o TD-CDMA o TD-SCDMA FOMA

UMTS Rev. 8 (Pre-4G) •

LTE

•

HSOPA (Super 3G)

CDMA (3GPP2) Family

cdmaOne (2G) CDMA2000 (3G) •

EV-DO

UMB (Pre-4G)

AMPS Family AMPS (1G) •

TACS / ETACS

D-AMPS (2G)

Other Technologies Pre Cellular • • • • • • •

PTT MTS IMTS AMTS OLT MTD Autotel / PALM

•

ARP

• • • •

NMT Hicap CDPD Mobitex

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DataTAC

• • • •

iDEN PDC CSD PHS

•

WiDEN

1G

2G

Pre-4G • •

iBurst HIPERMAN

• •

WiMAX WiBro

•

GAN (UMA)

Channel Access Methods • • •

FDMA o OFDMA TDMA SSMA o

CDMA

Frequency bands •

Cellular o GSM o UMTS o PCS

•

SMR

An International Mobile Subscriber Identity or IMSI (IPA: /ˈɪmzi/) is a unique number associated with all GSM and UMTS network mobile phone users. It is stored in the SIM inside the phone and is sent by the phone to the network. It is also used to acquire other details of the mobile in the Home Location Register (HLR) or as locally copied in the Visitor Location Register. In order to avoid the subscriber being identified and tracked by eavesdroppers on the radio interface, the IMSI is sent as rarely as possible and a randomly-generated TMSI is sent instead. The IMSI is used in any mobile network that interconnects with other networks, in particular CDMA and EVDO networks as well as GSM networks. This number is provisioned in the phone directly or in the R-UIM card (a CDMA analogue equivalent to a SIM card in GSM). An IMSI is usually 15 digits long, but can be shorter (for example MTN South Africa's old IMSIs that are still being used in the market are 14 digits). The first 3 digits are the Mobile Country Code, and is followed by the Mobile Network Code (MNC), either 2 digits (European standard) or 3 digits (North American standard). The remaining digits are the mobile subscriber identification number (MSIN) within the network's customer base. The IMSI conforms to the ITU E.212 numbering standard.

Contents [hide]

• •

1 Examples 2 IMSI analysis o 2.1 Example of outside World Area 1 o 2.2 Example inside World Area 1 (North America) 3 Home Network Identity 4 See also

•

5 External links

• •

[edit] Examples IMSI:429011234567890 MCC 429 Nepal MNC 01 Nepal Telecom MSIN 1234567890 IMSI: 310150123456789 MCC 310 USA MNC 150 Cingular (AT&T) MSIN 123456789

[edit] IMSI analysis IMSI analysis is the process of examining a subscriber's IMSI to identify which network the IMSI belongs to and whether subscribers from that network are allowed to use a given network (if they are not local subscribers, this will require a roaming agreement). If the subscriber is not from the provider's network, the IMSI must be converted to a Global Title, which can then be used for accessing the subscriber's data in the remote HLR. This is mainly important for international mobile roaming. Outside North America the IMSI is converted to the Mobile Global Title (MGT) format, standard E.214, which is similar to but different from E.164 number (more or less a telephone number). E.214 provides a method to convert the IMSI into a number that can be used for routing to international SS7 switches. E.214 can be interpreted as implying that there are two separate stages of conversion; first determine the MCC and convert to E.164 country calling code then determine MNC and convert to national network code for the carrier's

network. But this process is not used in practise and the GSM numbering authority has clearly stated that a one stage process is used [1]. In North America, the IMSI is just directly converted to an E.212 number with no modification of its value. This can be routed directly on American SS7 networks. After this conversion, SCCP is used to send the message to its final destination. For details, see Global Title Translation.

[edit] Example of outside World Area 1 This example shows the actual practise which is not clearly as described in the standards. Translation rule: * match numbers starting 28401 (Bulgaria mobile country code + MobilTel MNC) * identify this as belonging to MobilTel-Bulgaria network * remove first five digits (length of MCC+MNC) * add 35988 (Bulgaria E.164 country code + a Bulgarian local prefix reaching MobilTel's network) * mark the number as having E.214 numbering plan. * route message on Global Title across SCCP network

so we get 284011234567890 becomes 359881234567890 numbering plan E.214. Translation rule: * match numbers starting 310150 (America first MCC + Cingular MNC) * remove first six digits (length of MCC+MNC) * add 14054 (North America E.164 country code + Network Code for Cingular) * mark the number as having E.214 numbering plan. * route message on Global Title across SCCP network

so we get 310150123456789 becomes 14054123456789 numbering plan E.214. The result is an E.214 compliant Global Title, (Numbering Plan Indicator is set to 7 in the SCCP message). This number can now be sent to Global Title Analysis.

[edit] Example inside World Area 1 (North America) Translation rule: * * * * *

match numbers starting 28401 (Bulgaria MCC + MobilTel MNC) identify this as belonging to MobilTel-Bulgaria network do not alter the digits of the number mark the number as having E.212 numbering plan. route message on Global Title across SCCP network

so we get 284011234567890 becomes 284011234567890 numbering plan E.212. This number has to be converted on the ANSI to ITU boundary. For more details please see Global Title Translation.

[edit] Home Network Identity The Home Network Identity (HNI) is the combination of the MCC and the MNC. This is the number which fully identifies a subscriber's home network. The reason to make this distinction is that in a country with multiple country codes (e.g. USA has codes 310 to 316) there may be two different networks, with the same Mobile Network Code, but only one of which is the home network. In order to know which network a mobile belongs to we have to analyse the entire HNI at once. Because of the unlikeness in the Global Title Translation, it is extremely hard to pin point the exact location of the American international mobile prefix number. E.214's recommendation for Global Title Translation does not take into account countries with more than one mobile country code (MCC) (for example the US, which has 7 MCCs), or shared numbering plans (for example North American Numbering Plan, or the +1 country code, which applies to the US, Canada, and all the countries in the Caribbean). The problem lies in de-translation of the global title back into a mobile network E.212 IMSI. Since E.214 recommends that the country part of the translation be done first, it presumes that a given E.164 country code only relates to a single E.212 mobile country code. Unfortunately this is untrue in NANPA member nations, and doubly untrue in the US. So, a global title with CC of 1 can indicate any of 7 US MCCs, or Canada, or any Caribbean nation. This has led to a temporary practice of distributing IMSIs in the US with only MCCs of 310, in an attempt to minimise the ambiguity. In practice, however, home carriers use a deeper translation process which performs a lookup based on the entire CC+NC in order to better determine the correct country. In the case of NANPA, this would be 1+area code, which can uniquely identify a country -- but there are hundreds of area codes. More of the number then has to be used to determine the carrier network (in some cases up to 4 digits). Future possibilities for eliminating the global title ambiguities include upgrading international switches to accept IMSIs as global titles. This is an especially handy solution, as non-GSM networks begin to transition to IMSIs for subscriber identification. However the expense of such an infrastructure upgrade may not be feasible for all countries any time soon. •

IMSI allocation guidelines for NANP countries

•

Response from GSM Numbering Authority

[edit] See also • • • •

IMEI MEID Electronic Serial Number MSISDN

[edit] External links • • •

"Cellular Networking Perspectives" article in Wireless Telecom Magazine IMSI oversight council responsible for allocating IMSI ranges in the USA IMSI Lookup Utility

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Subscriber_Identity" Categories: GSM Standard You can support Wikipedia by making a tax-deductible donation.

International Mobile Equipment Identity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from IMEI) Jump to: navigation, search The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI (pronounced /aɪˈmiː/) is a number unique to every GSM and UMTS mobile phone. It is usually found printed on the phone underneath the battery. The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen phone from accessing the network. For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to "ban" the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless, regardless of whether the phone's SIM is changed. Unlike the Electronic Serial Number or MEID of CDMA and other wireless networks, the IMEI is only used to identify the device, and has no permanent or semi-permanent relation to the subscriber. Instead, the subscriber is identified by transmission of an IMSI number, which is stored on a SIM card which can (in theory) be transferred to any

handset. However, many network and security features are enabled by knowing the current device being used by a subscriber.

Contents [hide] • • • • • • •

1 Structure of the IMEI and IMEISV 2 Retrieving IMEI information from a GSM device 3 IMEI and the law 4 Blacklist of stolen devices 5 Difficulties 6 Computation of the Check Digit 7 See also

•

8 External links

[edit] Structure of the IMEI and IMEISV The IMEI (14 digits plus check digit) or IMEISV (16 digits) includes information on the origin, model, and serial number of the device. The structure of the IMEI/SV are specified in 3GPP TS 23.003. The model and origin comprise the initial 8-digit portion of the IMEI/SV, known as the Type Allocation Code (TAC). The remainder of the IMEI is manufacturer-defined, with a Luhn check digit at the end (which is never transmitted). As of 2004, the format of the IMEI is AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-D, although it may not always be displayed this way. The IMEISV drops the Luhn check digit in favour of an additional 2 digits for the Software Version Number (SVN) in the format AA-BBBBBBCCCCCC-EE AA

BBBBBB

CCCCCC

Reporting Body The remainder of Serial sequence Identifier, the TAC of the model indicating the GSMAapproved group that allocated the model TAC

D

EE

Luhn check digit Software Version of the entire Number (SVN). number (or zero)

Prior to 2002, the TAC was 6 digits long and followed by a two-digit Final Assembly Code (FAC), which was a manufacturer-specific code indicating the location of the device's construction. For example the IMEI code 35-209900-176148-1 or IMEISV code 35-209900-176148-23 tells us the following: TAC: 352099 so it was issued by the BABT and has the allocation number 2099 FAC: 00 so it was numbered during the transition phase from the old format to the new format (described below) SNR: 176148 - uniquely identifying a unit of this model CD: 1 so it is a GSM Phase 2 or higher SVN: 23 - The 'software version number' identifying the revision of the software installed on the phone. 99 is reserved.

The format changed from April 1, 2004 when the Final Assembly Code ceased to exist and the Type Approval Code increases to eight digits in length and became known as the Type Allocation Code. From January 1, 2003 until this time the FAC for all phones was 00. The Reporting Body Identifier is allocated by the Global Decimal Administrator; the first two digits must be decimal (ie less than 0xA0) for it to be an IMEI and not an MEID. The new CDMA Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) uses the same basic format as the IMEI.

[edit] Retrieving IMEI information from a GSM device On many devices the IMEI number can be retrieved by entering *#06#. The IMEI number of a GSM device can be retrieved by sending the command AT+CGSN. For more information refer the 3GPP TS 27.007, Section 5.4 /2/ standards document. Retrieving IMEI Information from an older Sony or Sony Ericsson handset can be done by entering these keys: Right * Left Left * Left * (Other service menu items will be presented with this key combination). The IMEI information can be retrieved from most older Nokia mobile phones by pressing *#92702689# (*#WAR0ANTY#), this opens the warranty menu in which the first item is the serial number (the IMEI). The warranty menu also shows other information such as the date the phone was made and the life timer of the phone. The IMEI can frequently be displayed through phone menus, under a section titled 'System Information', 'Device', 'Phone Info' or similar. Many phones also have the IMEI listed on a label in the battery compartment. The IMEI will display on the device page of iTunes for an iPhone after syncing.

On refurbished phones the IMEI may be different for the software and the actual phone itself. You can check this by looking behind the phone where the battery is placed (phone IMEI) and by pressing *#06# on your phone (software IMEI)

[edit] IMEI and the law Many countries have acknowledged the use of the IMEI in reducing the effect of mobile phone theft, which has increased significantly over the last few years[citation needed]. For example, in the United Kingdom under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act, changing the IMEI of a phone, or possessing equipment that can change it, is considered an offence under some circumstances. There is a misunderstanding amongst some regulators that the existence of a formally allocated IMEI number range to a GSM terminal implies that the terminal is approved or complies with regulatory requirements. This is not the case. The linkage between regulatory approval and IMEI allocation was removed in April 2000 with the introduction of the European R&TTE Directive. Since that date, IMEIs have been allocated by BABT (acting on behalf of the GSM Association) to legitimate GSM terminal manufacturers without the need to provide evidence of approval. Other countries use different approaches when dealing with phone theft. For example, mobile operators in Singapore are not required by the regulator to implement phone blocking or tracing systems, IMEI-based or other. The regulator has expressed its doubts on the real effectiveness of this kind of systems in the context of the mobile market in Singapore. Instead, mobile operators are encouraged to take measures such as the immediate suspension of service and the replacement of SIM cards in case of loss or theft.[1]

[edit] Blacklist of stolen devices When mobile equipment is stolen or lost, the operator or owner will typically contact the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) which blacklists the device in all operator switches so that it will in effect become unusable, making theft of mobile equipment a useless business. The IMEI number is not supposed to be easy to change, making the CEIR blacklisting effective. However this is not always the case: IMEI may be easy to change with special tools and some operators may even flatly ignore the CEIR blacklist.

[edit] Difficulties •

"New IMEIs can be programmed into stolen handsets and 10% of IMEIs are not unique." According to a BT-Cellnet spokesman quoted by the BBC. [2]

•

Facilities do not exist to unblock numbers listed in error on all networks. This is possible in the UK, however, where the user who initially blocked the IMEI must quote a password chosen at the time the block was applied.

[edit] Computation of the Check Digit The last number of the IMEI is a check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm. According to the IMEI Allocation and Approval Guidelines, The Check Digit is calculated according to Luhn formula (ISO/IEC 7812). See GSM 02.16 / 3GPP 22.016. The Check Digit shall not be transmitted to the network. The Check Digit is a function of all other digits in the IMEI. The Software Version Number (SVN) of a mobile is not included in the calculation. The purpose of the Check Digit is to help guard against the possibility of incorrect entries to the CEIR and EIR equipment. The presentation of Check Digit (CD) both electronically and in printed form on the label and packaging is very important. Logistics (using bar-code reader) and EIR/CEIR administration cannot use the CD unless it is printed outside of the packaging, and on the ME IMEI/Type Accreditation label. The check digit shall always be transmitted to the network as "0".

The check digit is validated in three steps: 1. Starting from the right, double a digit every 2 digits (e.g. 7 → 14) 2. Sum the digits (e.g. 14 → 1 + 4) 3. Check if the sum is divisible by 10 Conversely, one can calculate the IMEI by choosing the check digit which would give a sum divisible by 10. For the example IMEI 49015420323751?, IMEI

4

9

0

1

5

4

2

0

3

2

3

7

5

1

?

Double every other

4

18

0

2

5

8

2

0

3

4

3

14

5

2

?

Sum digits 4 + (1 + 8) + 0 + 2 + 5 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 3 + 4 + 3 + (1 + 4) + 5 + 2 + ? = 52 + ? To make the sum divisible by 10, we set ? = 8, so the IMEI is 490154203237518.

[edit] See also • •

International Mobile Subscriber Identity Mobile phone

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NCK Unlocking

[edit] External links • •

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IMEI Number Analysis: By entering a valid IMEI it will tell you all known information on that phone. IMEI Number Application: Manufacturers of GSM900/1800 / 3GPP WCDMA terminals (and multi-mode terminals) may obtain IMEI allocations through BABT. IMEI Allocation & Approval Guidelines: PDF document explaining IMEI in detail from GSM Association. IMEI Allocation and Approval Guidelines IMEI saver

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Equipment_Identity" Categories: GSM Standard Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since May 2008

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This page was last modified on 18 June 2008, at 16:47. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.

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Electronic Serial Number From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search Electronic Serial Numbers (ESNs) were created by the FCC to uniquely identify mobile devices from the days of AMPS in the United States in the mid-1980s on. The administrative role was later taken over by the Telecommunications Industry Association in 1997. ESNs are mainly used with AMPS, TDMA and CDMA phones in the United States, compared to IMEI numbers used by all GSM phones.[1] An ESN is 32 bits long. It consists of three fields, including an 8-bit manufacturer code, an 18-bit unique serial number, and 6 bits that were reserved for later use, although in practice these 6 bits are combined into a 24-bit serial number field. Manufacturer code 0x80 was reserved and now is used to represent pseudo ESNs (pESN) which are calculated from an MEID or EUIMID. Pseudo-ESNs are not guaranteed to be unique. ESN's are often represented as 11 digit decimal numbers or 8 digit hex numbers. The first three digits are the decimal representation of the first 8 bits (between 001 *and 255 inclusive) and the next 8 are derived from the remaining 24 bits and will be between 00000001 and 16777215 inclusive. The decimal format of pseudo ESN's will therefore begin with 128. As ESNs are running out, a new serial number format named Mobile Equipment ID (MEID) has been created. MEIDs are 56 bits long, which is the same length as with IMEI. MEID was created to be compatible with IMEI. The first 8 bits of MEID is a regional code. Numbers above 0xA0 will be assigned to CDMA phones. 0x99 is reserved for multimode phones and supports GSM and CDMA. The main difference between MEID and IMEI is that the MEID allows hexadecimal digits while IMEI allows only decimal digits. Consequently the check digit algorithm for the MEID had to be modified to a hexadecimal Luhn algorithm instead of a decimal Luhn algorithm. The last of the virgin (never before used) ESN codes is expected to be allocated in 2008. Allocation will continue for a short time with reclaimed ESN codes, those previously assigned to AMPS or TDMA and therefore not present on cdma2000 systems. Reclaimed codes have been used for UIMID assignments for some time. Codes are assigned according to industry guidelines.[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN) 2. ^ ESN Assignment Guidelines and Procedures, Version 1.9c. May 2007. [1]

Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN) and MEID ESN Migration to MEIDs Definition: An electronic serial number (ESN) is the unique identification number embedded or inscribed on the microchip in a wireless phone by the manufacturer. Each time a call is placed, the ESN is automatically transmitted to the base station so the wireless carrier's mobile switching office can check the call's validity. The ESN cannot easily be altered in the field. The ESN differs from the mobile identification number (MIN), which is the wireless carrier's identifier for a phone in the network. MINs and ESNs can be electronically checked to help prevent fraud. How is TIA involved? TIA, which took over the ESN function from the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau in September 1997, manages and coordinates manufacturer codes for subscriber equipment in the cellular service, personal communications services and other wireless services that conform to the cellular radiotelecommunications intersystem operations family of standards, TIA/EIA-41; advanced mobile phone service (AMPS), TIA/EIA-553 and subsequent revisions; narrowband analog mobile phone service (NAMPS), TIA/EIA-691 and subsequent revisions; code division multiple access (CDMA), TIA/EIA-95, TIA/EIA/IS-2000 and subsequent revisions; and time division multiple access (TDMA), TIA/EIA-136 and subsequent revisions.

Mobile Equipment IDentifiers (MEID) Definition: A Mobile Equipment IDentifier (MEID) is a globally unique number for a physical piece of mobile station equipment. Equipment identifiers are 'burned' into a device, and should be resistant to modification. An ESN type can be distinguished as a pseudo ESN (pESN) based on the first 8 bits ("manufacturer" code) as derived from the MEID using the SHA-1 algorithm to reduce a 56-bit MEID to a 24-bit ESN. The pESN codes are not unique, but will not match any UIMID or true ESN (tESN) because they have a unique manufacturer code of 0x80 (decimal 128). The ESN will migrate to the MEID with assignments anticipated to begin in the 2004 to 2005 timeframe. How is TIA involved? TIA, which already acts as the ESN Administrator, will act as the Global Hexadecimal Administrator (GHA) to assign MEID code prefixes. TIA will also coordinate with the International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) Global Decimal Administrator (GDA), the GSM Association, to administer codes for multi mode equipment. Support in standards is rapidly being developed. The TIA Committee TR-45 ESN/UIM/MEID Ad Hoc, in cooperation with 3GPP2, is actively working with industry

to assist a smooth transition from ESN to MEID. The following library of MEID documents is intended to assist the understanding and migration from the finite ESN numbering resource to MEID:

Category:GSM Standard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search GSM is a standard for mobile phones. The ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming very common with "roaming agreements" between operators. GSM differs significantly from its predecessors in that both signalling and speech channels are digital, which means that it is seen as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. GSM is an open standard which is developed by the 3GPP. GSM has retained backward-compatibility with the original GSM phones. At the same time, the GSM standard continues to develop and packet data capabilities were added in the Release '97 version of the standard with GPRS. Higher speed data transmission has been introduced by providing a new modulation scheme with EDGE. For more information, refer to the main GSM page. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: GSM Standard

Subcategories This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

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[+] Quad Band GSM phones (0)

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[+] Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (1)

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Pages in category "GSM Standard" The following 60 pages are in this category, out of 60 total. Updates to this list can occasionally be delayed for a few days.

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A5/1 ARFCN Alternate line service

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GSM-R GTP'

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High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data

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CIMD Circuit Switched Data Customised Applications for Mobile networks Enhanced Logic

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Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution Enhanced Messaging Service Evolved EDGE

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Reporting Body Identifier Roaming

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KASUMI (block cipher)

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MM1 MM3 (MMS) • MM4 • MM5 (MMS) • MVPN Mobile Allocation U Index Offset Mobile Network • Code • Mobile switching centre server Mobility management V Multimedia

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Quad band

IMSI attach • IMSI detach ISIM S Intelligent network International • Mobile Equipment • Identity • International • Mobile Subscriber • Identity •

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Base Station Subsystem

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Personal Unblocking Code

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GERAN GSM GSM 02.07 GSM codes for supplementary services GSM frequency bands GSM gateway

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SGSM SGSN SIM Serial Number SIM cloning SMS Banking Short message service Short message service technical realisation (GSM) Single Antenna Interference Cancellation

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Tri band Turbo SIM Type Allocation Code

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GSM localization GSM services

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Visitor Location Register