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World's First Voice Call From a Free GSM Stack
zycx writes "As Dieter Spaar has pointed out in a mailing list post on the OsmocomBB developer list, he has managed to get a first alpha version of TCH (Traffic Channel) code released, supporting the FR and EFR GSM codecs. What this means, in human readable language: He can actually make voice calls from a mobile phone that runs the Free Software OsmocomBB GSM stack on its baseband processor. This is a major milestone in the history of the project."
I thought the GSM voice codecs were patented by Philips, as described in this page about an otherwise Free implementation of GSM FR.
What this means is that it is now theoretically possible to have a phone with zero closed source code. So far all phones have had at least proprietary radio module code.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
"Mr Stallman, come here, I want to see you!".
The white/black/grey lists are held in the EIR (Equipment Identity Register), which may or may not exist at all (it's optional, some providers don't have one) and is sometimes integrated within the HLR
This is an explanation (a bit dated, but still) of how to decode manufacturer code, country code, approval code etc from the IMEI: http://www.cellular.co.za/ieminumbers.htm
More info (just relevant stuff which came up googling "imei hlr eir"):
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/technology/wireless/TCH_WIR/612218-35166861
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/technology/wireless/TCH_WIR/608687-35166861
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/HLR#EIR
Brief description of the (global?) IMEI DB at the gsmworld site: http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/programmes-and-initiatives/fraud-and-security/imei_database.htm
Vacuum cleaners suck. Kings rule.
Actually, it's been done dozens of times before.
By people who had proprietary knowledge enabling them to use the hardware properly, and hardware to do it on.
The software is not that special, and the system isn't either.
It's constructing the electronics that are capable of doing all the things needed to get the job done that slows you down.
Big companies have $billions to invest in making complex micro-gadgets that they can sell for a $thousand each other big companies who can find millions of little people to rent them for a $hundred a month to send sexts and tweets. You expect things to get done in that business model.
People with the word "free" in their corporate charter, not so much.
Besides, there were other things we wanted to get done.