LAW ENFORCEMENT TELEPHONE INVESTIGATIONS RESOURCE GUIDE
– Cellular, Satellite & VoIP Phone Providers
CONFI DENTIAL MATERIAL – LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE – DO NOT DISCLOSE Page 9
MVNO - Mobile Virtual Network Operator - Secondary seller
An MVNO is a cell phone carrier (such as a prepaid wireless carrier) that typically does not have its own network infrastructure and licensed
radio spectrum. Instead, a smaller MVNO has a business relationship with a larger mobile network operator (MNO). An MVNO pays wholesale
fees for minutes and then sells the minutes at retail prices under its own brand. An MVNO, therefore, is an MNO reseller. An MVNO is actually a
customer of an MNO rather than a competitor. An MVNO can typically set its own pricing following agreed-upon rates with its contracted MNO.
Boost Mobile, TracPhone, OnStar and JitterBug, for example, are all prepaid wireless MVNOs. AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless, for example,
are MNOs. It is often beneficial to request records from the MNO verses the MVNO – especially with live tracking and cell tower records.
PCS – Personal Communications Service
Personal Communications Services (PCS) is a wireless phone service very similar to cellular phone service, but with an emphasis on personal
service and extended mobility. The term "PCS" is often used in place of "digital cellular," but true PCS means that other services like paging,
caller ID and e-mail are bundled into the service. While cellular was originally created for use in cars, PCS was designed from the ground up for
greater user mobility. PCS has smaller cells and therefore requires a larger number of antennas to cover a geographic area. PCS phones use
frequencies between 1.85 and 1.99 GHz (1850 MHz to 1990 MHz). Technically, cellular systems in the United States operate in the 824-MHz to
894-MHz frequency bands; PCS operates in the 1850-MHz to 1990-MHz bands.
SMS - Short Message Service – Text messages
SMS stands for Short Message Service. SMS is a method of communication that sends text between cell phones, or from a PC or handheld to a
cell phone. The "short" part refers to the maximum size of the text messages: 160 characters (letters, numbers or symbols in the Latin
alphabet). SMS is a store-and-forward service, meaning that when you send a text message to a target, the message does not go directly to your
target’s cell phone. The advantage of this method is that your target's cell phone doesn't have to be active or in range for you to send a message.
The message is stored in the SMSC (for days if necessary) until your target turns their cell phone on or moves into range, at which point the
message is delivered. The message will remain stored on your target's SIM card (GSM phones) until it is deleted.
SIM Card
GSM cellular phones require a small microchip, called a SIM card - Subscriber Identity Module, to function. Approximately the size of a small
postage stamp, the SIM Card is usually placed underneath the battery in the rear of the unit, and (when properly activated) stores the phone's
configuration data, and information about the phone itself, such as which calling plan the subscriber is using. When the subscriber removes the
SIM Card, it can be re-inserted into another phone that is configured to accept the SIM card and used as normal. Each SIM Card is activated by
use of a unique numerical identifier; once activated, the identifier is locked down and the card is permanently locked in to the activating
network. For this reason, most retailers refuse to accept the return of activated SIM Cards. Common providers that require SIM cards include:
AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile and Nextel.