With srsLTE you just need to run the srsenb and srsepc processes with their example configuration files while having a compatible SDR connected. If you want to attach your own phone you need to have the right credentials of course but an srsUE (also with the example config) would happily connect.
LTE-U would allow for LTE in unlicensed spectrum. Do any current devices support these bands? I would very much enjoy serving unlicensed LTE around my home. I wonder how much effort it would take to provide VoLTE over a SIP backend.
Several hardware manufacturers for LTE last mile fixed wireless, WISP equipment, have announced BTS and CPE equipment for LTE in unlicensed 5150-5850 MHz bands. Baicells and Telrad come to mind.
It's not for around your home but as competition for things like the Cambium PMP450 platform and Ubiquiti's Rocket 5AC gen2 AP radios.
Just curious, does your handset super wifi calling? My parents live pretty far out in the country and were having reception issues. A few Ubiquiti wireless access points solved the problem
I used this several years ago (five or six, I think? Maybe more) with some of Ettus Research's USRPs. It's quite amazing. We used it for prototyping -- the gear wasn't (or we couldn't get it to be) fast enough to replace "real" LTE gear, but do bear in mind this was many years ago. But at the time, this was basically the best way to experiment with, and develop solutions for LTE, in a price range that was mostly affordable for a small company. I know cheaper options exist today, but I don't know much about them.
And, of course, this warrants a shout out for Ettus Research's equipment. It's pricey but if you can afford it, or if you manage to strike a bargain, you'll love it. The higher-ups at the company I was working for at the time were kind enough to let me spend several evenings there using the equipment for my own hobby projects. I mostly used it with GNU Radio -- it worked without a glitch.
Kind of concerning what other uses this could be put to. Doesn't seem like a big jump from here to a DIY stingray, soaking up all of the data from every cell phone within range.
Of course, vacuuming up everything is probably a great way to get caught quickly. For nefarious purposes it would probably more useful to selectively target individual devices.
> I’m not writing this post to help script kiddies breaking the law, my point is that GSM is broken by design and it’s about time vendors do something about it considering how much we’re paying for their services.
Unfortunately they're unlikely to do much about it until the consequences of NOT securing their networks hit them in the wallet, which is maybe where the script kiddies come in.
LTE uses symmetric crypto with a pre-shared key stored in your SIM-card and in a database of your provider.
Base stations receive a derivated key. If the base station is not connected to your provider's network, you cannot establish a connection due to the lack of a common key.
I understand why you might be concerned but really, you should not. All technology can be used by the bad guys.
Did you know that simply owning a _typewriter_ was illegal without reporting it to communist authorities in east Europe?
Just to have a clear note here. Ham radio is regulated and there is certain traffic that you can run on free bands. That won't stop bad actors from ignoring these regulations.
Wow check out the prices for the hardware. By "wow" I mean I can't afford this. Clearly not the Amarisoft stuff where it doesn't even list the price, preferring that people contact them apparently knowing that I can't afford it.
Are there any sub-US$500 hardware platforms for LTE play?
It's going to be cheaper and easier to just buy a radio that can do full duplex -- the LimeSDR costs about the same as a HackRF, and is nominally supported by OpenAirInterface.
And have specific FCC reporting obligations - your address must be reported up for e911, GPS tracking (to ensure the carrier owns spectrum there), etc.
I see, but what has Fabrice Bellard to do with this? His association with Amarisoft is unclear to me. Has he actually made something, or is this just a 'hey, this is cool'?
I like this at concept level though am not qualified to dig into the internals. A use case could be eith CBRS (soon open in USA)? Add a neutral SAS and you have an IIoT solution with LTE type bandwidth, sans the monoploly telcos?
What I'd like to see is an open baseband implementation, including calling out to more efficient DSP hardware, and some more substantial hardware frontend. There is surely a patent minefield involved in using something like that, but it'd be nice to have something in the open which you could at least license those patents to integrate into a product, and provide a greater degree of certainty as to what's inside to your customers.
[1] http://www.openairinterface.org
[2] https://github.com/srsLTE/srsLTE