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Nowadays the cost of a local call using a cellular is quite cheap. However, Have you ever imagined you could make local calls from mobile phones for free? It is quite possible to build a technology called OpenBTS.

Open Base Transceiver Station, or abbreviated OpenBTS, is a software-based GSM base stations, which allows mobile phone users to call without using a GSM network service provider. OpenBTS known as the first open source implementation of the GSM industry standard protocols.

According to the information technology practitioners Onno W. Purbo, when talking with Compass Tekno via email, by building OpenBTS, users can make local phone calls and sending short messages for free, of course with a certain range.

The technology is certainly very useful for people in rural areas where not yet covered by mobile operators. OpenBTS are usually established after post-disaster such as flood, earthquake, etc, where communications infrastructures are damaged.

Cost, Hardware and Software

The cost to build OpenBTS is not as expensive as building a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) towers which mobile operators need to spend millions of dollar.

To build an OpenBTS, you need a tool called the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP). The equipment can be purchased online.

“For the minimal version of the USRP about USD $ 1500 to $2000. If you want complete package with power amplifiers and other things, it could reach USD $12,000 to $15,000, ” Onno said.

The softwares needed are: Asterisk, Gnuradio and a software for OpenBTS. “Asterisk for the central telephone, Gnuradio to control the radio hardware, and OpenBTS to control the BTS operation, ” Onno said.

In order to o operate those softwares, you need computed with Linux operating systems. All of the above software are open source, and can be downloaded for free.

Regulation

Then, what about the regulation from the government, is it legal? Of course not. However, Onno does not intend to operate it in mass production, or to commercialize OpenBTS. He said the purpose of this technology was just to educate the people of Indonesia.

“We will use this OpenBTS to facilitate the students for the final project. So, in no way to commercialize , ” he said.

At the moment, OpenBTS can not be used to access the Internet. However, practitioners of communications technology is developing 3G network in OpenBTS. [kompas.com]

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