
Distributed GSM / Multicast MS Lookup – Open Source Mobile Communications - ollieparanoid
https://osmocom.org/news/120
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innovator116
Distributed, community cellular networks will be highly viable with
open/public spectrum.

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neeels
The lack of open public spectrum is a clear mistake of the governing
authorities. To run a GSM+3G+LTE network for the annual CCC congress, we have
to ask commercial operators for ARFCNs to use, every year all over again, and
every year it is unclear what the response will be, often up to very near the
build up of the event. If we had a publicly usable spectrum for 2G,3G,4G (and
5G?) here in Germany, so much more innovation and free/open infrastructure
projects would happen in mobile communication. Network coverage holes are high
up on the news these days, just imagine if locals were allowed to help
themselves and not rely on profit-only oriented commercial operators...

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g_p
Germany's new "campus network" spectrum regime is the first step towards this.
It isn't true free access for everyone, but it makes approx 90 MHz of usable
mobile spectrum in the ~3.5 GHz band available.

The Netherlands has had around 5 MHz of DECT guardband spectrum available for
private use, which is also useful. The UK has announced a new way to "share"
access to 3.3 MHz of DECT guardband (plus 10 MHz of 2.3 GHz, and any unused
mobile operator spectrum).

Coverage blackspots are definitely a problem, but with these moves, maybe we
can see some initiatives like these helping? The biggest challenge is likely
in getting incumbent operators (paying billions for spectrum) to work with
people willing to build these kinds of networks - until that happens adoption
may struggle, and it is hard to onboard users and create good business models.
Spectrum was definitely a barrier but in rural areas in northern Europe,
hopefully this will be less of an issue going forward.

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Nextgrid
I wonder, what’s the purpose of this? GSM is going away and being replaced
with IMS which is essentially SIP over a specific APN.

Does this problem also apply to data links (from my experience I’ve never had
issues maintaining a data connection despite roaming between cells and even
countries)? If not then I don’t see how this effort is worthwhile.

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dfc
The majority of the linked document details the purpose of the system. As far
as worthwhile it's pretty clear that Rhixomatica and the villages in Oaxaca
think it's useful:

 _" The solution we are implementing is inspired by the actual social and
physical structure that we aim to service: each village in Oaxaca has their
own fully independent core network stack, and each community is fully in
charge of their own infrastructure. There is no central authority governing
across communities, by deliberate choice. Because the infrastructure is
operated in remote rural areas, often from a pole on a hill crest running on
solar panels, and with directional wifi over large distances, network links
between villages can be unstable."_

