nRF9160 - Who's device has seen/reports a network with a global PLMN (starting with '9')?

[Achim Kraus]

Hi other users,

I'm still confused about the changes in the HPPLMN search, which was introduced with mfw 1.3.2, when global SIMs are used (IMSI starting with '9', e.g. "90140" Deutsche Telekom, 1NCE ).

According Nordic (see hpplmn search - difference mfw 1.3.1 and 1.3.2):

"The fix in 1.3.2 was that PLMN starting with 9 is a global PLMN and can be found from anywhere and that is why it is also considered as suitable candidate in HPPLMN search."

In my experience the "90140" can not be found at all. The statement "can be found from anywhere" seems to be wrong, it's in my experience "nowhere".

Unfortunately, the 3GPP specs are no that easy to read, and so I didn't found the statements related to the usage of global SIMs.

Anyway, sorry to write that, I consider that Nordic's expertise about such global SIMs is wrong. There are no networks, which reports the global PLMN ("9xxxx"), but instead, such global SIMs are used for quite a lot of common networks for roaming, e.g. Roaming mobile IoT networks for the "90140".

My devices with global SIMs (IMSI "90140") frequently reports "26201" listed by the Telekom at the very top. That is also the top of the operator's PLMN selector on the SIM card. But my device never ever connects to a network reporting "90140".

Therefore:

I would really appreciate, if other users of global SIMs comment here, if their devices are really able to find such network with a "9xxxx" PLMN or not.

[Øyvind]

Hello Achim Kraus , 

Due to Christmas Holidays our team is lower staffed than normal and some delays in our answers must be expected. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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Looking at this Wikipedia article on Mobile Country Code, the following list provides some information:

The first digit of the mobile country code identifies the geographic region as follows (the digits 1 and 8 are not used):

• 0: Test networks
• 2: Europe
• 3: North America and the Caribbean
• 4: Asia and the Middle East
• 5: Australia and Oceania
• 6: Africa
• 7: South and Central America
• 9: Worldwide (Satellite, Air—aboard aircraft, Maritime—aboard ships, Antarctica)

Scrolling down on the same page there is a list of global PLMN ID starting with 901, where you'll find among others iBasis, Truphone, 1NCE, etc. 

You can find the list of national and international PLMN ID in the document Mobile Network Codes (MNC) for the international identification plan for public networks and subscriptions (According to Recommendation ITU-T E.212)

Based on the information from the previous tickets you have registered regarding HPPLMN, the 1NCE SIM card does have "90140" registered as the home network, but it does not find this and will continue to search for this. As Deutsche Telekom AG is the host network for for 1NCE, why does it not use the national PLMN ID "26201" as the home network?

There needs to be a physical network that is broadcasting the PLMN ID, in your case it does not seem that Deutsche Telekom is broadcasting an international PLMN ID inside of the national PLMN ID region. Perhaps DT can provide answers to how this works.

The statement "can be found from anywhere" seems to be wrong, it's in my experience "nowhere".

The statement was wrong, is should be "could be found anywhere". 

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[Achim Kraus]

Thanks!

But this doesn't answer the question, if actually any user/device has found such a global PLMN reported by a network. If no one get's that reported, that indicates, that the interpretation of Nordic is wrong. 

> Perhaps DT can provide answers to how this works.

Sure, once DT gets aware and interested. As I also already wrote, I don't consider such deep 3GPP stuff to be the task of customers and users. I would expect, that Nordic contacts the Deutsche Telekom (you should have good contacts to iot-creator) and sort it out. Asking user to do so seems to be the child game of "chinese whispers".

And please, in the end, if Nordic and Deutsche Telekom comes to a conclusion, don't forget to publish it.