1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to network analytics, and more particularly, to deriving subscriber and device identifiers of User Equipment (UE) in communication networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks generally use 4th generation (4G) wireless technologies and are considered a next evolution for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). LTE particularly provides a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and is designed to provide higher data transmission rates while efficiently utilizing the spectrum thereby supporting a multitude of subscribers. LTE is all-IP permitting applications such as real time voice, video, gaming, social networking and location-based services.
LTE networks also provide improved security features that, in part, protect User Equipment (UE) identification from being intercepted. For example, LTE networks use temporary identifiers, instead of actual identifiers for UE, during radio interface transmission between UEs and evolved Node Bs (eNBs).
Despite the desirable intentions of such improved security features (e.g., protecting UE information against unwanted interception, etc.), such LTE security features hinder valuable network analytics such as device analytics, UE tracking, and the like, for network operators. That is, without appropriate identifiers (e.g., subscriber identifiers, equipment identifiers, etc.) to correlate and assign traffic amongst various network nodes to particular calls, sessions, devices, users, etc., overall network analytics, including UE tracking, prove difficult at best.
Some conventional approaches attempt to bypass such security features by soliciting information from certain network nodes (e.g., a Mobile Management Entity node); however, not all MME vendors allow or even support such solicitation.
Accordingly, there exists a need for further improvements to UE mapping, particularly for LTE networks. Preferably, these UE mapping improvements should be applicable to other network technologies and other telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. The present invention provides a solution for these problems.