IMSI

An International Mobile Subscriber Identity, or IMSI, is a unique number associated with all GSM and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network mobile phone users. It is stored in the Subscriber Identity Module (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 consists of three components:

• Mobile Country Code (MCC)
• Mobile Network Code (MNC)
• Mobile subscriber Identity Number (MSIN)