In LTE the GUTI is allocated to the UE by the MME and has two components. These are the GUMMEI (Globally Unique MME ID) and the M-TMSI (MME-TMSI). While the GUMMEI identifies the MME, the M-TMSI identifies the UE within the MME.
In GPRS and UMTS the mobile's temporary id was the (P-TMSI) Packet Temporary Mobile Identity. This id is changed on a frequent basis and used instead of the IMSI (The International Mobile Subscriber Identification) in most air interface messages for security reasons.
In LTE, the P-TMSI is now called the Globally Unique Temporary ID, or the GUTI. Some of the digits in the GUTI identify the Mobility Management Entity the mobile was last registered with and they are referred to as the Globally Unique MME Identifier, or the GUMMEI.
When contacting the network, the mobile sends the GUTI to the base station which then uses the parameter to identify the MME to which it will send the request to re-establish the communication session.It's also possible to roam between different radio technologies. If the mobile has reselected from a UMTS cell to an LTE cell, a TAU is made and since the mobile does not have a GUTI, the P-TMSI is sent instead.This way, the newly assigned MME can contact the 3G SGSN to request the subscribers current profile (IP address, PDP contexts, etc.).
The same mechanisms apply when the mobile reselects from an LTE cell to a UMTS or GPRS cell. In this case the GUTI is sent in the P-TMSI parameter and the procedure is reffered to as Routeing Area Update (RAU) instead of TAU.
The GUTI has two main components:
- one that uniquely identifies the MME which allocated the GUTI; and
- one that uniquely identifies the UE within the MME that allocated the GUTI.
The Globally Unique MME Identifier (GUMMEI) is constructed from the MCC, MNC and MME Identifier (MMEI). Within the MME, the mobile is identified by the M-TMSI.
Finally the GUTI is constructed from the GUMMEI and the M-TMSI.
