Mobile Country Codes (MCC) and Mobile Network Codes (MNC)

The MCC (Mobile Country Code) is a three-digit code that uniquely identifies a mobile subscriber’s country or region and is uniformly assigned and managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The MNC (Mobile Network Code) is a two- or three-digit code used to distinguish different mobile network operators within the same country/region. The combination of the two can accurately locate a user’s country + operator affiliation and is the core identifier for mobile communication network identification.

It is used to identify the country or region of a mobile user on wireless communication networks (such as GSM, CDMA, and UMTS). It serves as the basic identifier for the network to distinguish users from different countries/regions, ensuring network adaptation and service routing during cross-region communications.

The MCC identifies the country/region, while the MNC identifies the specific carrier within that country/region. The two together form the Home Network Identifier (HNI). For example, MCC 460 (China) + MNC 00 (China Mobile) can accurately locate a user’s home network and ensure they connect to the correct carrier’s network.

Within the same country, the MCC is the same (because it identifies the country), but the MNC is different.

No. MCCs are uniformly assigned by the ITU. Each country/region has a unique MCC, which prevents network identification confusion.

The MCC is three digits (e.g., 460); the MNC is mostly two digits, though in some scenarios (such as virtual operators) it can be three digits.

Yes. MCCs follow the principle of global uniqueness and are centrally managed by the ITU, ensuring that each country/region has its own unique code in mobile communication networks.

This can cause the device to be unable to access the network (no signal), experience communication issues (call/data interruptions), or experience roaming anomalies because the network cannot identify the user’s country and carrier.