LWN: Comments on "The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station"

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

bronson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:21:12 +0000

You don't mentioned where you've looked. There's lots of great reading behind just about every link on http://www.google.com/search?q=openbts

Remember that OpenBTS is hard and requires custom hardware. You won't be able to just set up your own mobile phone network in a weekend.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

degan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:46:10 +0000

bjr, je suis une etudiante en telecom info et j'aimerai concevoir tout le projet d'openBTS du debut a la fin mai je manque beaucoup information sur la realisation, la configuration et aussi pour le deploiement de ce reseau.
si vous pouvez m'aider j'ai besoin des informations detaillés.
merci d'avance.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

071203 — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:52:09 +0000

If you get a amateur radio licence, you are allowed to use some spectrum
near the GSM band, mabe that is a solution?

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

robert_s — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:13:08 +0000

Excellent - I've been searching for this for ages.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

JoeBuck — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:06:29 +0000

You'd need a license to turn the thing on, since GSM operates on regulated frequency bands.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

pcampe — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:03:23 +0000

Thanks for your quick explanation and good luck with your project.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

dburgess00 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:47:34 +0000

Hi, pcampe.

As the guy who filed the FCC application for the Burning Man GSM test, I can tell you that what we
did was completely legal. Our license was WD9XKN, STA file #0353-EX-ST-2008, good for one
week in an area 10 miles NE of Gerlach, NV. We also coordinated spectrum use with a licensed
cellular carrier in the area. All of this is presented in the project web page.

What you describe is an IMSI-catcher. That's not what we were doing.

-- David A. Burgess

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

yootis — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:14:12 +0000

It already exists -- see http://gps-sdr.com

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

pcampe — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:56:46 +0000

At least in Europe, companies have paid governments a lot of money for licenses to use the GSM band and governments protect their investments (and network health and security) not allowing anyone else to use the GSM band.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

robert_s — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:42:03 +0000

The GNURadio/USRP project I'm really waiting to see is a GPS receiver. That would be very interesting.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

bferrell — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:28:14 +0000

If you read the linked articles, you'll find they had temporary operating permission from the FCC and the local GSM carrier(s)

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

drag — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:06:12 +0000

Well if you have a hacksaw you can spend a couple minutes and steal any bike or break into any warehouse that you please. You'd be amaze how fast a 15 year old boy can hack through a thick steel cable.

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I would think it would be completely legal if you have a radio operators license of some sort. I mean it's not like the government can make it illegal for people start their own cellular phone companies.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

pcampe — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:05:32 +0000

>In which part of the world? US? The news item mentioned "developing
>world"...

I don't see any problem in access the OpenBTS web site (that sooner or later will contain schematics, source code, ecc..) for people living in the first world.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

oak — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:54:39 +0000

> Are you sure that this is completely legal?

In which part of the world? US? The news item mentioned "developing
world"...

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

pcampe — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:44:53 +0000

Are you sure that this is completely legal?

I vaguely remember that, if you could impersonate a BTS, you can crack a GSM SIM and clone it in no more than 6 hours.

The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM base station

daney — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:29:44 +0000

What a cool project. IMHO truly impressive.