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Burning Man Goes Open Source For Cell Phones

Posted by Soulskill on from the new-meaning-to-the-term-hot-spot dept.

coondoggie passes along this excerpt from Network World: "Today I bring you a story that has it all: a solar-powered, low-cost, open source cellular network that's revolutionizing coverage in underprivileged and off-grid spots. It uses VoIP yet works with existing cell phones. It has pedigreed founders. Best of all, it is part of the sex, drugs and art collectively known as Burning Man. ... The technology starts with the 'they-said-it-couldn't-be-done' open source software, OpenBTS. OpenBTS is built on Linux and distributed via the AGPLv3 license. When used with a software-defined radio such as the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP), it presents a GSM air interface ("Um") to any standard GSM cell phone, with no modification whatsoever required of the phone. It uses open source Asterisk VoIP software as the PBX to connect calls, though it can be used with other soft switches, too. ... This is the third year its founders have decided to trial-by-fire the system by offering free cell phone service to the 50,000-ish attendees at Burning Man, which begins today in Black Rock City, Nevada. "

5 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Wait. by _KiTA_ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is this the same Burning Man that claims copyright on any PRIVATE photos taken at their events?

    PASS. Horrible IP grab + single Open Source project is still a negative, methinks.

    1. Re:Wait. by _KiTA_ · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I've never been to Burning Man, I've been to other free-love-get-high-hippy-alt-fests so I "get" the point of it, but I don't understand how the Open Source community can stomach Burning Man's copyright claims.

      On paper it sounds really good. "We have a bunch of nudists and hippies (and exhibitionsts) that show up and walk around naked for most of the event. We don't want voyeurs to be getting their rocks off on them."

      Then they went after private photographers own galleries, and the Wiki Commons. Oh, and they sell their own DVDs. Complete coincidence, there.

      Unfortunately Burning Man itself has kinda become mainstream. It's less about art and free love and the like, and more about college guys getting drunk/stoned and harassing girls, trying to get them to strip. I imagine there are other, better, alt-fests around, but the closest thing I get to Hippydome is reading Brad Warner's series of Zen books.

    2. Re:Wait. by blhack · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They do this to prevent people from going there, taking pictures, and selling a "BURNERS GONE WILD!" calendar or something like it.

      They're preventing *others* from profiting off of photos of burners, not profiting off of them themselves.

      This is generally considered a good thing.

      --
      NewslilySocial News. No lolcats allowed.
  2. Re:Missing the point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I cringe at how many calls are going to be "Hey! I'm calling you from Burning Man PRETTY COOL HEY!"

    Actually I wonder how many phone calls will go out to emergency services claiming "there's a fire" as some sort of joke.

    What really surprises me is that they've only had cell service for 3 years.

  3. Re:I may have read that one wrong by Requiem18th · · Score: 3, Interesting

    After reading their regulations section however I feel freer out here in the network than in that caged city.

    --
    But... the future refused to change.