IMSI codes

The Home Network Identity (HNI) is made up of the MCC and MNC. The HNI is used to fully identify a user’s home network. This is important because some large countries have more than one country code for a single carrier. For example a customer with a mobile carrier on the East Coast of the United States would have a different MCC than a customer on the West Coast with the same carrier because even through the MNC would be the same the MCC would be different — the United States uses MCCs 310 to 316 due to its size.

If an IMSI number is not from the local carrier’s network, IMSI analysis is performed to resolve the number into a Global Title which is used to access the user’s information remotely on their home carrier’s network for things like billing and international roaming.

Other identity and location based information elements

Other identity and location based information elements

IMSI focuses on the user, their location, and carrier network. There are other numbers used to identify different user related Information Elements (IE).

These identity and location based elements include:

• Access Point Number (APN) l Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) l Radio Access Technology (RAT) type l User Location Information (ULI) l Routing Area Identifier (RAI)
• International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)

Access Point Number (APN)

The Access Point Number (APN) is used in GPRS networks to identify an IP packet data network that a user wants to communicate with. The Network Identifier describes the network and optionally the service on that network that the GGSN is connected to. The APN also includes the MCC and MCN, which together locate the network the GGSN belongs to. An example of an APN in the Barbados using Digicel as the carrier that is connecting to the Internet is internet.mcc342.mnc750.gprs.

When you are configuring your Carrier-enabled FortiGate unit’s GTP profiles, you must first configure the APN. It is critical to GTP communications and without it no traffic will flow.

The access point can then be used in a DNS query to a private DNS network. This process (called APN resolution) gives the IP address of the GGSN which serves the access point. At this point a PDP context can be activated.

Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN)

This is a 15-digit number that, along with the IMSI, uniquely identifies a mobile user. Normally this number includes a 2-digit country code, a 3-digit national destination code, and a 10-digit subscriber number or the phone number of the mobile device, and because of that may change over time if the user changes their phone number. The MSISDN number follows the ITU-T E.164 numbering plan.

Radio Access Technology (RAT) type

The RAT type represents the radio technology used by the mobile device. This can be useful in determining what services or content can be sent to a specific mobile device. FortiOS Carrier supports:

• UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), commonly referred to as 3G, routes many types of traffic including IP traffic. This is one of the faster types.
• GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) is a key part of the GSM network which routes both phone calls and data.
• Wireless LAN (WLAN) is used but not as widely as the other types. It is possible for the mobile device to move from one WLAN to another such as from an internal WLAN to a commercial hot spot.
• Generic Access Network (GAN) can also be called unlicensed mobile access (UMA). It routes voice, data, and SIP over IP networks. GAN is commonly used for mobile devices that have a dual-mode and can hand-off between GSM and WLANs.

Other identity and location based information elements

• High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) includes two other protocols High Speed Downlink and Uplink Packet Access protocols (HSDPA and HSUPA respectively). It improves on the older WCDMA protocols by better using the radio bandwidth between the mobile device and the radio tower. This results in an increased data transfer rate for the user.

RAT type is part of advanced filtering configuration. See Configuring advanced filtering in FortiOS Carrier.

User Location Information (ULI)

Gives Cell Global Identity/Service Area Identity (CGI/SAI) of where the mobile station is currently located. The ULI and the RAI are commonly used together to identify the location of the mobile device.

ULI is part of advanced filtering configuration. See Configuring advanced filtering in FortiOS Carrier.

Routing Area Identifier (RAI)

Routing Areas (RAs) divide the carrier network and each has its own identifier (RAI). When a mobile device moves from one routing area to another, the connection is handled by a different part of the network. There are normally multiple cells in a routing area. There is only one SSGN per routing area. The RAI and ULI are commonly used to determine a user’s location.

RAI is part of advanced filtering configuration. See Configuring advanced filtering in FortiOS Carrier.

International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)

IMEI is a unique 15-digit number used to identify mobile devices on mobile networks. It is very much like the MAC address of a TCP/IP network card for a computer. It can be used to prevent network access by a stolen phone — the carrier knows the mobile phone’s IMEI, and when it is reported stolen that IMEI is blocked from accessing the carrier network no matter if it has the same SIM card as before or not. It is important to note that the IMEI stays with the mobile phone or device where the other information is either location based or stored on the removable SIM card.

IMEI type is part of advanced filtering configuration. See Configuring advanced filtering in FortiOS Carrier.

When to use APN, IMSI, or advanced filtering

At first glance APN, IMSI, and advanced filtering have parts in common. For example two can filter on APN, and another two can filter on IMSI. The difficulty is knowing when to use which type of filtering.