NITZ

NITZ, or Network Identity and Time Zone,^[1] is a mechanism for provisioning local time and date, as well as network provider identity information to mobile devices via a wireless network.^[2] NITZ has been an optional part of the official GSM standard since phase 2+ release 96.^[3] NITZ is often used to automatically update the system clock of mobile phones.

In standards terms and other timing or network access protocols such as NTP or CDMA2000, the quality and enforcement of NITZ is weak. This standard allows the network to "transfer its current identity, universal time, DST and LTZ"^[4] but each is optional, and support across RAN vendor and operator varies. This presents a problem for device manufactures which are required to maintain a complex timezone database, rather than rely on the network operator. Additionally, unlike 3GPP2 which has GPS sourced, millisecond resolution via the sync channel, the timing information via NITZ is only required to support "accuracy of the time information is in the order of minutes.".^[5]

Supported phones

Some mobile phones support automatically updating their date and time via NITZ,^[6] but is not required. Phones that support this feature include:

• Apple iPhone
• Most BlackBerry devices
• All HTC models running Android & Windows Phone 7
• Most LG devices
• Most MOTOROLA devices
• Most Nokia models, including series 40 and 60 phones.
• Most SAMSUNG devices
• Most Sony Ericsson models

Carriers supporting NITZ

NITZ is supported by large carriers around the world. Carriers that support this feature include^{[7][dead link]}:

• 2degrees (New Zealand)
• AT&T (USA)
• MTS (Russia)
• PCCW (Hong Kong)
• SmarTone (Hong Kong)
• Optus (Australia)
• Rogers (Canada)
• Sunrise (Switzerland)
• TeliaSonera (Sweden)
• Telenor (Sweden)
• Telecom NZ (New Zealand)
• Telefónica O2 Germany^[8]
• Telefónica O2 (Czech Republic)
• Telstra (Australia)
• Turkcell (Turkiye)
• T-Mobile (Czech Republic)
• T-Mobile (Hungary)
• T-Mobile (USA)
• Vodafone (Czech Republic)
• Vodafone (Netherlands)
• Vodafone (United Kingdom)^[9]
• Vodafone (Turkiye)
• Zapp (Romania)
• Chunghwa Telecom(Taiwan)
• MTN(Nigeria)
• Drei (Austria)
• Orange Romania in 3G mode.

Carriers not supporting NITZ

NITZ is not supported by some of the carriers around the world. Carriers that do not support this feature include:^{[citation needed]}

• Avea (Turkey)
• Orange (Switzerland)
• SoftBank (Japan)
• T-Mobile (Netherlands)
• Tele2 (Sweden)
• 3 (Sweden)
• Vodafone NZ (New Zealand)
• Vodafone Australia (Australia)

Documentation for the feature can be found in 3GPP TS 22.042 (Network Identity and TimeZone (NITZ);)^[10]

References

1. ^ http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/NITZ
2. ^ http://www.freshpatents.com/Network-identity-and-timezone--nitz--functionality-for-non-3gpp-devices-dt20080207ptan20080032736.php
3. ^ http://ftp.3gpp.org/tsg_sa/TSG_SA/TSGS_04/Docs/PDF/sp-99330.pdf
4. ^ http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/22042.htm
5. ^ http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/22042.htm
6. ^ http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-33846_23_0.html
7. ^ http://www.howardforums.com/archive/topic/1030372-1.html
8. ^ http://www.android-hilfe.de/samsung-galaxy/7717-automatische-uhr-im-o2-netz.html
9. ^ http://youprotect.co.uk/personal-alarms/medilarm-pro
10. ^ http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/22042.htm

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