Call detail record
A call detail record (CDR) is a data record produced by a telephone exchange or other telecommunications equipment that documents the details of a
CDR contents
A call detail record contains data fields that describe a specific instance of a telecommunication transaction, but does not include the content of that transaction. By way of simplistic example, a call detail record describing a particular phone call might include the phone numbers of both the calling and receiving parties, the start time, and duration of that call. In actual modern practice, call detail records are much more detailed, and contain attributes such as:[2][3]
- the phone number of the subscriber originating the call (calling party, A-party)
- the phone number receiving the call (called party, B-party)
- the starting time of the call (date and time)
- the call duration
- the billing phone number that is charged for the call
- the identification of the telephone exchange or equipment writing the record
- a unique sequence number identifying the record
- additional digits on the called number used to route or charge the call
- the disposition or the results of the call, indicating, for example, whether or not the call was connected
- the route by which the call entered the exchange
- the route by which the call left the exchange
- call type (voice, SMS, etc.)
- voice call type (call setup, call continue, call operation, call end, call idle, call busy, out of service call)
- any fault condition encountered
Each exchange manufacturer decides which information is emitted on the tickets and how it is formatted. Examples:
- Send the timestamp of the end of call instead of duration
- Voice-only machines may not send call type
- Some small PBX does not send the calling party
In some corporate
Uses
Call detail records serve a variety of functions. For
Privacy
The U.S. Supreme Court has held the records of numbers called are not protected by the
In June 2013, a top secret order of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was leaked to the public. That order referenced and defined call detail records as follows:
"IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, the Custodian of Records shall produce to the National Security Agency (NSA) upon service of this Order, and continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this Order, unless ordered by the Court, an electronic copy of the following tangible things: all call detail records or "telephony metadata" created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls.... "Telephony metadata includes comprehensive communications routing information, including but not limited to session identifying information (e.g., originating and terminating telephone number, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (
Usage in research
CDRs have found various uses in academic research, with topics ranging from social networks to human mobility.[7]
See also
- Charging data record
- Customer proprietary network information
- NSA call database
- Telecommunications data retention
- Pen register
- Internet Protocol Detail Record
- Communications data
- Datacom
- Average call duration
- Answer/seizure ratio
- Telecommunication transaction processing systems
References
- ISBN 978-0-470-12722-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-57820-041-5.
- ^ ISBN 1-4200-4067-7.
- ^ Peterson (2000), pp. 80–1, 87, 93, 118, 213–4, 218, 410–1, 433, 436.
- ^ Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735, 744 (1979)
- ^ Vinson, Judge Roger (April 25, 2013). "In re Application of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for an Order Requiring the production of tangible things from Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. on behalf of MCI Communication Services, Inc. d/b/a Verizon Business Services" (PDF). Top Secret order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Electronic Privacy Information Center. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Blondel, V.D., Decuyper, A. & Krings G. "A survey of results on mobile phone datasets analysis"
External links
- Visualize/playback 6-months' Call Detail Records – records of German politician Malte Spitz (ZeitOnline)