MSISDN

Technology & Computing abbreviation · Telecom

MSISDN
Stands forMobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number
CategoriesTechnology & Computing

MSISDN stands for Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number, a telecom abbreviation.

Technical name for a mobile phone number in full international format, including the country code, as used inside carrier systems and billing platforms.

Example: The API returns the subscriber's MSISDN as 447700900123 with no plus sign.

Usage notes

An MSISDN follows the ITU's E.164 numbering plan, with a maximum of 15 digits. The network maps the MSISDN, the public number, to the IMSI, the private identity on the SIM, which is how numbers can be ported to another carrier or moved to a new SIM. Developers encounter the term in messaging and carrier APIs.

More telecom abbreviations

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  • MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service
  • mmWave – Millimeter wave
  • MNO – Mobile network operator
  • modem – Modulator-demodulator
  • MVNO – Mobile virtual network operator
  • MWC – Mobile World Congress
  • NB-IoT – Narrowband Internet of Things
  • NFC – Near-field communication
  • NR – New Radio
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