What does IMSI stand for? And what does the IMSI number mean on my phone?

IMSI stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity. IMSI is a 64-bit data stored inside the phone's SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.

The format of an IMSI number is similar to the ICCID, or SIM card, number with 15 digits or less divided into 3 parts: Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), and Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN).

Part 1: MCC (Mobile Country Code) - The MCC number is a fixed 3-digit code assigne by the International Telecoms Union (ITU) for each country/region. For example, the MCC for US is "310".

Part 2: MNC (Mobile Network Code) - The MNC number is a 2-digit or 3-digit code used to identify a specific wireless carrier network. For example, the MNC for Verizon Wireless in US is "012".

Part 3: MSIN (Mobile Subscriber Identification Number) - The MSIN number is 10 digits, 9 digits, or less. It identifies your subscription account in the wireless carrier system. For example, your MSIN at Verizon Wireless in US could be "356485795".

Putting MCC, MNC and MSIN together, "310012356485795", gives you the IMSI number in your SIM card.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to see the IMSI in your SIM card. The IMSI number is not printed on the SIM card. And it is not displayed on the phone's settings screen. You need special devices to read the IMSI number from your SIM card. Or you can call your wireless carrier to get it to you.

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