GTP’ (GTP prime)

GTP is used to handle tunnels of user traffic between SGSNs and GGSNs. However for billing purposes, other devices that are not supported by GTP are required. GTP’ (GTP prime) is a modified form of GTP and is used to communicate with these devices such as the Charging Data Function (CDF) that communicates billing information to the Charging Gateway Function (CGF). In most cases, GTP‘ transports user records from many individual network elements, such as the GGSNs, to a centralism computer which then delivers the charging data more conveniently to the network operator's billing center, often through the CGF. The core network sends charging information to the CGF, typically including PDP context activation times and the quantity of data which the end user has transferred.

GTP’ is used by the Ga and Gz interfaces to transfer billing information. GTP’ uses registered UDP/TCP port 3386. GTP’ defines a different header, additional messages, field values, as well as a synchronization protocol to avoid losing or duplicating CDRs on CGF or SGSN/GGSN failure. Transferred CDRs are encoded in ASN.1.