OpenBTS

It takes Billions of rupees to run a telecom network, be it GSM, CDMA or third generation technology and beyond. Recently Nepal telecom had floated a global tender where chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei vied for the 10 Million GSM & compatible network project which costs around 20 billion, decision yet to come. With such huge sum of money required, licensing and frequency sum apart, it is almost impossible even for a business tycoon to make it real.

Fig 1: OpenBTs logo

I had heard of open source, open platform, open interface from which people are envisaging of everything to be open in near future. Not long ago, I heard of OpenBTS which made me change my previous thoughts on running a Mobile network. USRP (Universal Software Radio peripheral) connects with USB or Ethernet interface to a host computer running a OpenBTS application that presents GSM air interface to standard handsets. And the call is connected via voip backhaul and Free switch (another open source application for call and Message). This kind of cheap technology can be used for private network and rural telephony. With such open combination and one cheap USRP from US, I can even own a GSM network. Contrary to the excitement in owning a telecom network, I am puzzled instantly with lots of unanswered questions for which I need to spend couple of hours for searching details or even send emails to experts. For now, I put a stop. 

Fig 2: Running OpenBTS

Fig 3: USRP

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