Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] The OpenBTS project - an open-source GSM basestation using the USRP and VoIP

[Harvind Samra]

Eric,

We'll still organizing the code so that it makes sense, and we're still
recovering from the last few weeks and our time in Black Rock City.

For several reasons, there are portions of our current implementation of
GSM layers 1 and 2 that we can't release at this time.  These portions
can be easily replaced by an open-source effort in just a matter of
weeks as they are strictly defined by the GSM specification.  Plus, the
open-source code would likely be far better and extensible that what
we've written.  

Other than that, we will release all of the code that we have.

--- Harvind

On Wed, 2008-09-03 at 20:19 -0700, Eric Blossom wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 07:42:56PM -0700, Harvind Samra wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > I wanted to introduce a new open-source project we've created, the
> > openBTS project.  
> > 
> > The Open BTS Project is an effort to construct an open-source Unix
> > application that uses the USRP to present a GSM air interface ("Um") to
> > a standard GSM handset and uses the Asterisk software PBX to connect
> > calls. The combination of the ubiquitous GSM air interface with VoIP
> > backhaul could form the basis of a new type of cellular network that
> > could be deployed and operated at substantially lower cost than existing
> > technologies in greenfields in the developing world.
> > 
> > Please take a look at 
> > 
> > http://openbts.sourceforge.net/
> > 
> > We recently took our existing code to Burning Man 2008, and we were able
> > to successfully operate as a GSM basestation.
> > 
> > We'll be releasing portions of the code and architecture in the next
> > several weeks, and we're looking to recruit contributors to the project.
> > Hopefully, with a community effort, we'll have a more robust, elegant
> > system.  Any questions or comments can be sent address@hidden
> > or address@hidden
> > 
> > Thanks to the USRP and gnuradio projects and communities for helping us
> > make this possible!
> > 
> > --- Harvind Samra
> 
> It's great that you had it working out on the playa.
> 
> Is there any particular reason you're not releasing the code now?
> We don't mind looking at code that's not finished.
> 
> Are you planning on releasing _all_ of the code?
> If not, why are you calling yourselves the OpenBTS project?
> If yes, now's a good time :-)
> 
> Eric