AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System)

Advanced Mobile Phone System was the analog 1G cellular standard launched commercially in Chicago in 1983, using FDMA and FM voice modulation in the 800 MHz band. AMPS calls were transmitted in the clear, trivially eavesdropped with consumer scanners, and famously vulnerable to cloning fraud. AMPS networks were sunset across North America by 2008.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkCore NetworkThreats and Attacks

AMPS in context

The radio access network is the layer where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations, downgrade attacks and jamming, and defenses hinge on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

The mobile core is where subscriber sessions, mobility and policy live. In 4G it is the EPC (MME, HSS, S/PGW); in 5G it is the Service-Based Architecture with AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, UDM and the NRF. Core exposure is the difference between a single-subscriber leak and a fleet-wide breach.

To place AMPS in the wider telecom-security picture, review BTS, GSM, Jamming, RAN, Slice Hopping and Backhaul.

Related terms

Related topic hubs

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.