What Is a Mobile Station Identifier?

Two-way radios frequently use mobile station identifiers.

Mobile station identifiers are signals used by two-way radios and mobile phones to identify themselves over a network. They are automatically generated by the phone or radio's hardware and do not require any work by the user.

Two-Way Radios

Mobile station identifiers are automatically generated by two-way radios. While some two-way radios also require spoken station identification to be made, most consumer models take care of the job for the user. These signals guarantee that users will be able to speak to the correct handset on the other end of the line.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones automatically generate mobile station identifiers through their handsets. A variety of formats are used by different kinds of mobile phones, including the mobile station roaming number (MSRN) in many conventional phones and international mobile station equipment identity (IMSEI) in GSM-equipped satellite phones.

Fun Fact

The mobile station identifiers used by two-way radios and mobile phones derive from the station identifiers used by (stationary) radio and television stations. On the earliest cellular phones, these even included short jingles.

References

• Tutorials Point: GSM Addresses and Identifiers
• Mobile & Wireless: Identities of a Dual-Mode Phone
• RadioShack: Consumer Electronics Glossary