Can You Run an Open GSM Network?

OpenCell asks: "Here in Vancouver, cellphone companies are charging ridiculous amounts for basic cellphone plans. I'm wondering if it's possible to run an open/almost free GSM network on a small college campus. Assuming we could find the hardware and get the rights, is there open source software out there to handle most aspects for something like this?"

Comments

Frequencies

[HaeMaker]

To run the GSM network, you need frequencies in the right range, you'd have to get phones tuned to that frequency and a license from the FCC (Vancouver, WA) or the Canadian equivalent (Vancouver, BC).

You might be able to use 900Mhz or 2.4.Ghz, but you still need specially made phones and cells, and coverage would be poor.

I don't think amateur cell phones are possible.

WiFi phones may be possible, but coverage would be bad.

Re:Frequencies

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

Actually, if you have a large enough number of properly-designed APs blanketing the area, VoIP might be what you want. I can confirm that Skype works seamlessly both from an actual laptop (of course) and a Windows Mobile device.

In fact, my school is transitioning to VoIP everywhere, for both (non-emergency) landlines and Institute-issued wireless phones.

Re:Frequencies

[bprice20]

Don't forget to mention the coming possibility of wimax/ voip. It is my opinion that voip over wimax has the potential to replace the existing gsm network with a network built for data and voice. If Google, Intel, Skype, Yahoo, along with DirecTV, and EchoStar get there way regarding what is going to be done with the 700mhz spectum then we may see a national wireless broadband alternative. Check http://www.dailywireless.org/. In the mean time while an open gsm network may be something of dreams, there is at least one truely open gsm phone google: openmoko. One other note ubnt.com sells an atheros chipset based 802.11b/g card that does some majic to use 900MHz instead of 2.4GHz. I have read that people are getting near pico cell type range with these things. But thats not exactly what you want is it.

Re:Frequencies

[PlanetMan]

Before choosing GSM or any other type of air interface (GSM, CDMA, TDMA, AMPS, DECT, PHS, ad nauseum) you should consider your requirements. If offering telephpony service over a limited area to slow-moving terminals (like pedestrians) is important, WiFi or WiMax or other technologies might offer sufficient capabilities to meet those needs.

GSM and other multiple access (the "MA" in CDMA and TDMA) technologies impose a high cost to provide mobility that must scale from pedestrians to automobiles and trains, etc., moving at 200 kmph and faster. This cost is for hardware and software in HLR, VLR and BTS components and others.

If your requirements do not require high-speed mobility, meaning you target terminals which move at human speeds around a limited geographic area like a campus, investigate limited mobility solutions using unlicensed spectrum such as WiFi and WiMax, and using off-the-shelf and Open Source technologies.

You may have to build from the ground up, but as a university your labor pool should be relatively inexpensive, and hardware, too, should be affordable.

Good luck. Please remember to let the readers of SlashDot know what you choose to implement, and your experience doing so.

Most Likely, no

[williamyf]

Aside from the red tape, and all such crap there are a few solutions that will allow you to have a MSC+HLR+BSC+BTS but will not scale well, and since , OpenSS7 is barely usable, if at all, there is no way to scale.

oh, and forget about roaming to your local provider when not in coverage if you do not sign a roaming agreement (highly unlikely).

Grab a phone from nokia or others that dose the wi-fi to gsm trick, use voice over IP to lower costs, deploy a comprehensive wi-fi network in your campus, and you will be better served...

Oh, and by the way, six years of experience in the second (734-02) GSM operator in Venezuela (in the telecomms area, just in case someone was wandering)

http://www.digitel.com.ve/

Re:Most Likely, no

[Paradise Pete]

(in the telecomms area, just in case someone was wandering)

That would be covered by the roaming agreement. ;-)

Neat Idea, But From Whence The Frequencies?

[cmholm]

The idea of an open gsm network would make for an interesting real world pilot project. Unfortunately, just about every nation considers the radio bands you'd normally want to work in to be big buck$. The parent Canadian poster can do a quick Google search regarding frequency assignments in her/his nation, and it's the same situation just about everywhere. You'd be charged a huge sum to license the bands, and/or an additional sum to be licensed as one of a limited number of com providers on those bands.

Theoretically, you could try this on - say - the ISM bands, but they aren't going to give you the same performance as the cell bands. In addition, purpose-built cell equipment isn't designed nor licensed to operate outside of the cell bands, so you'd have a lot of DIY on the hardware side. Not so bad on the provider side so much as on the user side... where're you gonna get the handsets? Yes, there are ISM YoIP handsets, but they aren't really set up for portable use. While ISM ain't what you asked for, it's really all you have available.

picocell

[metoc]

The GSM spec allows for a type of cell called a pico-cell. Pico-cells are very low power and allow your cell phone to act like a cordless phone, and route calls throught your landline. Never seen one in north america, but I think Nokia offers it in Europe. Problem is different frequencies and I think it needs an ISDN connection.

Re:picocell

[HaeMaker]

I don't think they are for private installations. I think they are used to fill in where coverage is lacking. I doubt it would be legal to use them in a frequency range assigned to another cell company.

Ridiculous Amounts?

[SKorvus]

Fido http://www.fido.ca/portal/en/packages/monthly.shtm l
Unlimited incoming: $25
Any time: $20
Fido to Fido: $25

Telus http://www.telusmobility.com/bc/plans/pcs/index.sh tml
Talk a lot 20: $20
Urban Talk 30: $30
Or there's their prepaid plans which can be cheaper if you don't call much: http://www.telusmobility.com/bc/plans/payandtalk/i ndex.shtml

Rogers/Cantel http://www.shoprogers.com/store/wireless/services/ plans_and_options.asp
MegaTime from $20

I'm not sure how much you expect cellphone service to cost; but $20-30/month (note each plan has a system access fee of about $8) is pretty reasonable, and many offer free or cheap phones.

Re:Ridiculous Amounts?

[Yaztromo]

[Fido] Unlimited incoming: $25

As someone who just today cancelled his Fido service after having ported his Fido number to a Vonage Virtual number (attached to my existing Vonage service), let's look at my typical Fido bill for that $25/month plan:

• Basic Plan: $25
• Voice Mail + Call Display: $8.00
• 911 Emergency Service: $0.50
• System Access Fee: $6.95
• GPRS (500kb/mo): $5.00
• GST: $2.78
• PST: $3.71
• TOTAL: $51.94

So, just to get barely reasonable service, which doesn't work in either my home or my office building inside a major Canadian city, costs me more than $50/mo for that "$25/mo" plan. Even if I get rid of the GPRS service and the voice mail and call display, I'm still paying nearly $40/mo for a "$25/mo" plan.

The other poster is correct -- Canada is in the dark ages where cells service is concerned. I signed up for this plan two and a half years ago, and in all that time the infrastructure has been ageing, service hasn't improved, and the price has stayed constant (with the only "savings" being when the Federal Government dropped the GST by 1%!).

(Oh, Fido did get their network coverage "expanded" when Rogers bought them out, but now you have to sign up for YET ANOTHER $5/MO FEE to get "expanded network access").

And none of this includes all the "roaming charges" and relatively high long distance charges.

It doesn't help that the only two GSM providers in Canada are both owned by the same company. The other two main providers (Bell and Telus) are still using CDMA technology, so if you're a cell user in Canada who wants to keep their phone and switch providers, if you're using a GSM phone you're screwed, and if you're using a CDMA phone you have ONE choice. And most of the really interesting, innovative phones are simply unavailable. GPRS is the best network access you can get in most places in Canada -- 3G service is barely even on the roadmap, and is excessively expensive.

I want WiFi/VoIP phone service to eat the call companies breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Competition here is virtually non-existent, and none of the providers is doing much to lower service prices. That's certainly their prerogative , but this consumer has now voted with his dollars. Worse service for more money -- what's not to hate here?

Yaz.

DECT

[ceroklis]

The short answer is no.

GSM is not designed for private networks, so forget it. What you want is DECT. DECT is a standard for cordless phones. It scales from a single cordless phone connected to a fixed line to business systems that cover a whole campus and connect to a PBX, making it easy to integrate to your existing infrastructure.

You can find dual DECT/GSM phones that seamlessly switch between the two networks. Here is a example of a DECT solutions vendor, which has a full range of offers: http://www.diacom.ie/kirk.htm.

Re:DECT

[baffo]

Telecom Italia, back when it still was the monopolist, tried to set up DECT networks in cities. The idea was that you would have this DECT cordless phone that you would also carry outside your home. In fact, on some phoneboxes you can still see the typical twin DECT base station antennas.

The idea was completely killed by the explosion of GSM cellphones. Smaller, nicer terminals with complete roaming and interoperability no matter where in Europe (and actually, large parts of Asia and Africa) you are. And not so expensive, if you look into it.