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Anyone working on any "ad hoc GSM/LTE" startups, or developed any business models around them? This technology is very interesting but I'm puzzled about what I

by tlack 10y ago

Anyone working on any "ad hoc GSM/LTE" startups, or developed any business models around them? This technology is very interesting but I'm puzzled about what I would use it for.

blantonl 10y ago
Providing GSM/LTE service in extremely remote locations in third world countries spurred the initial implementations of open source GSM stacks. Other business models include intelligence and communications interception.
ChuckMcM 10y ago
Interestingly enough, there are places without any cell phone coverage where being able to enable a small cell site would provide communications. There are also many disaster scenarios where it would be helpful to have such a capability.
- DasIch 10y ago
  In how many places would this be legal though?
  - wiml 10y ago
    It's possible to get permits for temporary operation. People have done this at hacker conferences and at Burning Man for example.
    - walrus 10y ago
      The Burning Man GSM base station writeup was a fun read: http://openbts.sourceforge.net/FieldTest/ http://openbts.sourceforge.net/FieldTest/
  - mkstowegnv 10y ago
    Indigenous communities in unserved rural Mexico set up their own open source based gsm networks and successfully pressured the central government after the fact to give them permission, and their efforts are spreading virally. https://rhizomatica.org/ https://rhizomatica.org/ http://www.wired.com/2015/01/diy-cellular-phone-networks-mexico/ http://www.wired.com/2015/01/diy-cellular-phone-networks-mex... They have occasional hackathons https://projects.osmocom.org/news/46 https://projects.osmocom.org/news/46
jpm_sd 10y ago
Google's Project Loon is about the only one I know of...
Zigurd 10y ago
There was a GSM-to-VoIP node based on a femtocell but the company making it apparently abandoned the idea before shipping very many, if any at all. I suspect the telcos had a small freakout. In theory one can be transmitting on licensed spectrum inside the home without permits, but I suppose the telcos never envisioned a "3rd party femtocell" that wasn't connected to their services. So I imagine they were faced with drowning under deluge of telco lawyers. Still, that was a brilliant idea. I think the product was eventually pivoted to shipboard applications. But, with unlimited voice calls on many plans, a roam-to-voip home base station holds less appeal.
eloycoto 10y ago
Few companies from German I think that it using OpenLTE & OpenIMS & Kamailio http://www.ng-voice.com/ http://www.ng-voice.com/ http://www.corenetdynamics.com/ http://www.corenetdynamics.com/ Regards
arca_vorago 10y ago
IOT for industrial applications is where it's at. Currently only a handful of competitors in the field. Give me something fanless that can stand -40 to 80 degrees please.
chemeris 10y ago
I'm the CEO of Fairwaves (http://fairwaves.co http://fairwaves.co). We work with telcos, mostly in developing countries. But there are also customers who run our tech in indegineous communities in Mexico (https://rhizomatica.org/ https://rhizomatica.org/), on mining sites, ships and just in their labs as a test tool.

by tlack 10y ago

Anyone working on any "ad hoc GSM/LTE" startups, or developed any business models around them? This technology is very interesting but I'm puzzled about what I would use it for.

blantonl 10y ago

Providing GSM/LTE service in extremely remote locations in third world countries spurred the initial implementations of open source GSM stacks. Other business models include intelligence and communications interception.

ChuckMcM 10y ago

Interestingly enough, there are places without any cell phone coverage where being able to enable a small cell site would provide communications. There are also many disaster scenarios where it would be helpful to have such a capability.

DasIch 10y ago
In how many places would this be legal though?
- wiml 10y ago
  It's possible to get permits for temporary operation. People have done this at hacker conferences and at Burning Man for example.
  - walrus 10y ago
    The Burning Man GSM base station writeup was a fun read: http://openbts.sourceforge.net/FieldTest/ http://openbts.sourceforge.net/FieldTest/
- mkstowegnv 10y ago
  Indigenous communities in unserved rural Mexico set up their own open source based gsm networks and successfully pressured the central government after the fact to give them permission, and their efforts are spreading virally. https://rhizomatica.org/ https://rhizomatica.org/ http://www.wired.com/2015/01/diy-cellular-phone-networks-mexico/ http://www.wired.com/2015/01/diy-cellular-phone-networks-mex... They have occasional hackathons https://projects.osmocom.org/news/46 https://projects.osmocom.org/news/46

jpm_sd 10y ago

Google's Project Loon is about the only one I know of...

Zigurd 10y ago

There was a GSM-to-VoIP node based on a femtocell but the company making it apparently abandoned the idea before shipping very many, if any at all. I suspect the telcos had a small freakout. In theory one can be transmitting on licensed spectrum inside the home without permits, but I suppose the telcos never envisioned a "3rd party femtocell" that wasn't connected to their services. So I imagine they were faced with drowning under deluge of telco lawyers. Still, that was a brilliant idea. I think the product was eventually pivoted to shipboard applications. But, with unlimited voice calls on many plans, a roam-to-voip home base station holds less appeal.

eloycoto 10y ago

Few companies from German I think that it using OpenLTE & OpenIMS & Kamailio http://www.ng-voice.com/ http://www.ng-voice.com/ http://www.corenetdynamics.com/ http://www.corenetdynamics.com/ Regards

arca_vorago 10y ago

IOT for industrial applications is where it's at. Currently only a handful of competitors in the field. Give me something fanless that can stand -40 to 80 degrees please.

chemeris 10y ago

I'm the CEO of Fairwaves (http://fairwaves.co http://fairwaves.co). We work with telcos, mostly in developing countries. But there are also customers who run our tech in indegineous communities in Mexico (https://rhizomatica.org/ https://rhizomatica.org/), on mining sites, ships and just in their labs as a test tool.