Lets start a free-local-call cell-phone network

[Tunasashimi]

It may sound ridiculously expensive. But my guess is that a GSM base station can be obtained for way less than R10 000.

This will allow people within a 10km radius, to make free calls. From 300-1000 concurrent calls.

Calls can be made in the ISM band - which is internationally license free.

Anybody with any info to the contrary, please speak out. Post facts.

Anybody with any info to aid our cause, please post links.

Thanks.


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http://myadsl.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=44169

 

[Freshy-ZN]

Why do you think less than 10 grand? Thing is in this country you probably would need the DOC blessing to buy it.

 

[krycor]

well if its a non-profit one then is the red tape not small ?

 

[daffy]

A complete cell tower setup costs approximately R6m, so good luck

 

[Gatecrasher]

Big difference between R10k and R6m. Which is right? Neither of you have posted any source links...

 

[andres101]

just a base station won't do the trick. it is the same as buying an router and saying everybody connected to the router has free internet access.

there are managements systems that you need to run a GSM network.

 

[Nickste]

It would work for connecting neighbours

 

[Tunasashimi]

Local calls is the key

Think of how many calls you make within 10km of where you are. Your kids, your family, your immediate colleagues/friends. Why pay in excess of R100/month for this convenience? In fact, it has become more than convenience.

Technically, your cell-phone signals and theirs overlap. You're likely both associated to the same cell-station. I've spent a few hours searching for info on the web.

I'm hoping/betting that we'd be able to find a small chinese/taiwanese company capable of providing enough hardware at affordable prices.

Your figure of a cell-tower costing 6m may be accurate, but if a company can pay that much, they will be charged that much. The actual underlying hardware cost definitely does not even come close to that figure - GSM equipment is just not that advanced/sophisticated.

A little research / Links would be appreciated.

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I've posted a basic framework for what we need to find out here:
http://myadsl.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=44169

 

[daffy]

Sadly, I dont have any links to substantiate my figures. It was all gleaned from a Vodacom Techie one day when we both ended up on the same roof trying to figure out why our radio networks were down. (overzealous land-lord with a hacksaw, didn't like the "long poles" sticking out the roof, visible from the streets below)

Have you had a look at Jawug yet? Same concept, but for data. And with VoIP, you can do exactely this...

 

[Tunasashimi]

Have you had a look at Jawug yet? Same concept, but for data. And with VoIP, you can do exactely this...

I can't believe that everyone is missing the point.

Not everyone has a VoIP Phone. Yet, I dont know anyone without a GSM handset!

When was the last time you tallied the cost of your <10km cellphone calls?

A movement/operation like this will force the operators to stop ripping us off.

A community GSM network could even be ad-supported.

 

[kingmonty]

This is not such a bad idea. There are obvious hurdles with such an implementation (as is usually the case with Techie things). Firstly, a Phone that is configured with a specific sim card will attempt to connect to Cell Phone towers appropriate to that specific sim (e.g. A Vodacom sim will cause the phone to connect to a Vodacom tower), so you would either need to make your own Sim available to the neighbourhood, or open the tower to connection from any sim and tell your neighbourhood how to connect using their existing system. In terms of legislation, you will not be permitted to offer VOICE services without appropriate licenses, which ICASA must issue. Also, the Cell phone providers will seek several legal reasons to shut down the network, so employing an excellent legal person to handle the leg work is crucial.

In terms of cost: These things vary depending on application. For this kind of service, you will need at the very least several different components. The tower alone could set you back tens of thousands, not to mention antennas, repeaters and other hardware pieces.

Here's some reading material from previous research I did on this topic:

http://www.standby.cz/gsm/gsm-e.htm
http://www.ipaccess.com/news/press_coverage/iee_mar02.pdf
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/November2004/8719.htm
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=51942
http://www.thestandard.com/article.php?story=20040219174432253
http://www.eurescom.de/~public-seminars/2000/MTM/04Wake/04aWake/04Wake.pdf
http://www.wi-fitechnology.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1808
http://www.wireless-elisra.com/GSM.html

*Note, don't know if any of the articles/pages are dead or missing. If they are, please drop me a message and I'll edit it out

 

[Tunasashimi]

Thanks For The Sweeet Links!

http://www.standby.cz/uvod-e.htm
These guys do towers exclusively. Cute. Even those "tree" ones.

_______________________________________________________________
http://www.ipaccess.com/news/press_coverage/iee_mar02.pdf
"The GSM standard defines a three-layer
hierarchy of base stations.
....
Power levels fall as you move down the
hierarchy, but the broad functionality of the
different base station types is the same."

Today, ip.access is the supplier of the world’s smallest GSM base station, the
nanoBTS (base station transceiver), measuring a mere 210mm by 280mm (Fig. 1). It’s fully compatible with the ETSI pico base station standard, and has a range of over 500m in an uncluttered environment, while the in-building range is of the order of 50m, depending on the building construction materials.


Cool! This looks PROMISING. "NanoBTS" - It's as big as a Wi-fi AP, and handles GSM connections. ... Now we're getting somewhere! I'm betting you could just amplify the signal with generic equipment and get 5-10km coverage!

_______________________________________________________________
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/November2004/8719.htm
These guys have got terrific hardware for site surveys and interference surveying.

http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=51942
BATH, U.K. –- Commodity Base Station Event -- It’s a hard life in the mobile infrastructure business, say a group of top equipment suppliers gathered in the U.K. this week to discuss if, when, and why their flagship 3G base stations will become low-margin “commodity” boxes.

DID YOU HEAR THAT MTN, VODIES and Prison CELL C.?!?!

"...telling us they want node B’s for the same price as a GSM BTS [€11,000 or $13,000] in the next couple of years..."

There we have it. The first Concrete price. A GSM BTS is ~R80k.

_______________________________________________________________
http://www.thestandard.com/article.php?story=20040219174432253
Voice over Wi-Fi, which enterprise wireless vendors have seized on as this year's hot sales pitch could be dead in the water, according to rivals.

Even though bandwidth on the office wireless LAN is free, the cost of Wi-Fi voice handsets would wipe out any savings over GSM phones if the operators offered internal GSM at sensible prices, it is claimed.
.......
As Wi-Fi handsets come down in price, the dynamics may change, said Brown, but "today it makes more sense to send voice over in-building GSM".

Nothing new here. AND EXACTLY MY POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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http://www.eurescom.de/~public-seminars/2000/MTM/04Wake/04aWake/04Wake.pdf

This link is irrelevant as it discusses future of embedded radios, which will be "software designed" in other words, be vastly more compatibile with different technologies.

_______________________________________________________________
http://www.wi-fitechnology.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1808
OBSAI First Version of Open Base Station Specifications Now Available on Website
Sweet title.... Lets check the contents:It points here:
http://www.obsai.org/obsai/latest_news
These guys are going to make base stations tons cheaper.
They have a 2nd version of an OBSAI system spec.

_______________________________________________________________
http://www.wireless-elisra.com/Products/MW-TBA-900-GSM.html
These guys sell the boosters you'd put on the NanoBTS units... Woohoo...
Prices and test hardware are within reach...