Glossary

Telecom glossary


Let’s talk the same language!

Cancel location
The Cancel-Location-Request (CLR) command is sent from HSS to MME or SGSN.

A2P messaging
A2P or application-to-person messaging is the term used to define SMS messages sent to a subscriber by an application. Typical usages are one-time-passwords (OTPS), notifications, assistants, reminders or marketing campaign messages.

HPLMN
Made of Home + PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), here we’re talking about connectivity within the national territory.

HSS
The Home Subscriber Server, is a master user database that supports the IMS network entities that actually handle calls. It contains the subscription-related information (subscriber profiles), performs authentication and authorization of the user, and can provide information about the subscriber’s location and IP information. It is similar to the GSM home location register (HLR) and Authentication centre (AuC). Wikipedia

ICCID
Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID) is a unique serial number of your SIM card.
The ICCID is defined by the ITU-T recommendation E.118 as the Primary Account Number. A full ICCID is 19 or 20 characters.

IMS
IMS stands for IP Multimedia Subsystem. It is a component of the core network which permits the latest voice calling technology. In essence, it allows voice calls to be carried using data (such as 4G or 5G).

IMSI
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is a unique number, which allows a mobile GSM, UMTS or LTE network to identify a subscriber.

Location update
In order to make a mobile terminated call, the network must know the location of the UE (user equipment) despite its movement. For this purpose, the UE periodically reports its location to the network using the location update procedure.

MSISDN
Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) is a unique identifier of a subscriber in a mobile network. Simply put, it is the telephone number to the SIM card in a device.

Network attach
The network attach is the procedure in which the mobile device registers to the network. This is one of the first procedure executed by the device after being switched ON and includes a location update.

Network detach
The network detach is an HSS-Initiated procedure. The HSS uses this procedure for operator-determined purposes to request the removal of a subscriber’s MM and EPS bearer at the MME and also at the SGSN if both an MME and an SGSN are registered in the HSS. It means a cancel location request is sent from the Transatel HSS to the Radio Access Network (RAN). Please note, it does not always force the UE to launch a new attach procedure because it depends on device context and behavior.

On-net
Refers to traffic (here SMS messaging) towards your own fleet of subscribers.

Off-net
Refers to traffic (here SMS messaging) towards any subscribers outside your own fleet of subscribers.

P2P messaging
P2P or person-to-person messaging is the term used to define SMS messages sent to a subscriber from another subscriber.

SMS
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet, and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text messages. Wikipedia

VPLMN
Made of Virtual + PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), here we’re talking about connectivity in roaming.


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