What does TAC stand for? And what does the TAC number mean in IMEI/MEID?

TAC stands for Type Allocation Code. TAC is the initial eight-digit portion of the 15-digit IMEI and 16-digit IMEISV codes used to uniquely identify wireless devices.

TAC identifies a particular model (and often revision) of wireless device for use on a GSM, UMTS or other IMEI-employing wireless network.

The format of a TAC number is AA-BBBBBB, where:

• "AA" is the Reporting Body Identifier (RBI) of the Type Allocation Code (TAC).
• "BBBBBB" is the actual allocation code of the Type Allocation Code (TAC), issued by GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association).

For example, 35057924 is a valid TAC number, where 35 is the RBI for BABT - United Kingdom, 057924 is the TAC used by Apple to identify iPhone 13 devices.

Here are more examples of TAC numbers and their associated device makers and models:

RBI   TAC      Maker   Name        Model 
---   ------   -----   ---------   -----
 35   010884   Apple   iPhone 13   A2482
 35   057924   Apple   iPhone 13   A2631
 35   002406   Apple   iPhone 13   A2633
 35   024433   Apple   iPhone 13   A2634
 35   073456   Apple   iPhone 13   A2635

For more information on IMEI Number format, see "What Is the IMEI Number on My Phone" tutorial.

For more information on MEID Number format, see "What Is the MEID Number on My Phone" tutorial.

⇒ What Is the RBI Number in IMEI/MEID

⇐ IMEI/MEID Device Maker and Model Lookup

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