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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. "

1 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. License? by Obfuscant · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Ummm, I'm confused. The frequencies that GSM uses are licensed by the FCC to specific operators. The phones are used under the control of the operator, who has a license for each and every cell site.

    How is Burning Man getting away with using these frequencies without a license?

    More important, what happens when half a dozen people in an area with existing service start setting these up and interfering with the big companies who are selling service? We lived through the heyday of CB radio and how unusable it became when the FCC gave up on licensing after an explosion of popularity. Do we have to live through the same thing with our cell phones?