Systems and methods for selecting tracking areas and reducing tracking area updates

A mobility management entity in a communication network comprising:

• a first interface which is configured to:
• receive messages from a plurality of base transceiver stations, the messages identifying a previous tracking area identity and a current tracking area identity;
• and receive a message from a user equipment device indicating the user equipment device is located in a first tracking area identified by a first tracking area identity;
• the mobility management entity configured to:
• store probabilities based on a count of transitions between the received previous tracking area identities and current tracking area identities;
• and select at least a second tracking area identity based on the stored probabilities and the first tracking area identity;
• and
• the first interface further configured to send a tracking area identity list to the user equipment device based on the selected second tracking area.