OpenBTS

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OpenBTS

2.8 / October 15, 2011; 2 months

Stable release
ago
Operating system Unix-like
Available in C++
Type GSM protocol stack
License AGPL (free software)
Website openbts.sf.net

OpenBTS (Open Base Transceiver Station) is a software-based GSM access point, allowing
standard GSM-compatible mobile phones to make telephone calls without using existing
telecommunication providers' networks. OpenBTS is notable for being the first free software
implementation of the industry-standard GSM protocol stack. It is written in C++ and released as
free software under the terms of version 3 of the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL).

Contents
[hide]

 1 Open GSM infrastructure

 2 History
 3 Platforms
 4 Security
 5 Field tests
 o 5.1 Burning Man
o 5.2 Niue
 6 See also
 7 References
 8 External links
o 8.1 Official
o 8.2 Other
o 8.3 Media
o 8.4 Related Projects

[edit] Open GSM infrastructure

OpenBTS replaces the traditional GSM operator core network infrastructure from the base
transceiver station upwards. Instead of forwarding call traffic through to an operator's mobile
switching center, the calls are terminated on the same box by forwarding the data onto the
Asterisk PBX via SIP and Voice over IP.

The Um air interface uses a software-defined radio transceiver with no specialized GSM
hardware. The original implementation used a USRP from Ettus Research, but has since been
expanded to support multiple devices ranging from full-scale base stations to an embedded
femtocell.

[edit] History
The project was started by Harvind Samra and David A. Burgess[1] with the aim of the project to
drastically reduce the cost of GSM service provision in rural areas, the developing world, and
hard to reach locations such as oil rigs.[2] The project was initially conducted through Kestrel
Signal Processing, the founders' consulting firm.

On September 14, 2010 at the Fall 2010 DEMO conference, the original authors launched Range
Networks as a start up company to commercialize OpenBTS-based products.[3]

[edit] Platforms
A large number of experimental installations have shown that OpenBTS can run on extremely
low overhead platforms. These including some CDMA handsets - making a GSM gateway to a
CDMA network. Computer security researcher Chris Paget reported [4] that a handheld device,
such as an Android phone, could act as a gateway base station to which handsets can connect; the
Droid then connects calls using an on-board Asterisk server and routes them to the PSTN via SIP
over an existing 3G network.

[edit] Security
At the 2010 DEF CON conference, it was demonstrated with OpenBTS that GSM calls can be
intercepted due to the fact that in GSM the handset does not authenticate the base station prior to
accessing the network.[5]

OpenBTS has been used by the security research community to mount attacks on cellular phone
baseband processors.[6] Previously, investigating and conducting such attacks was considered
impractical due of the high cost of traditional cellular base station equipment.

[edit] Field tests

Large scale live tests of OpenBTS have been conducted in the United States in Nevada and
northern California using temporary radio licenses applied for through Kestrel Signal Processing.

[edit] Burning Man

During the Burning Man festival in August 2008, a week-long live field test was run under
special temporary authorization license.[7][8] Although this test had not been intended to be open
to Burning Man attendees in general, a number of individuals in the vicinity succeeded in
making real out-going calls after a mis-configured Asterisk PBX installation allowed test calls
prefixed with an international code through.[9] The Burning man test successfully connected
about 120 phone calls to 95 different numbers in area codes over North America.

At the 2009 Burning Man festival, a larger test setup was run using a 3-sector system.[10] For the
2010 festival, an even larger 2-sector 3-carrier system was tested.

At the 2011 festival, the OpenBTS project set up a 3-site network with VSAT gateway and
worked in conjunction with the Voice over IP services company Voxeo to provide much of the
off-site call routing.[11][12]

[edit] Niue

During 2010, an OpenBTS system was permanently installed on the island of Niue and became
the first installation to be connected and tested with by telecommunication company. Niue is a
very small island country with a population of about 1,700 - too small to attract mobile
telecommunications providers. The cost structure of OpenBTS suited Niue, which required a
mobile phone service but did not have the volume of potential customers to justify buying and
supporting a conventional GSM basestation system.[13]

In March 2011, the single BTS system was removed without the permission of its owner and
replaced with a commercial solution from network integrator Challenge Networks based around
a commercial system from vendor Lemko. This replacement project was funded entirely with aid
from the government of New Zealand. As of September 2011, the calling rates on this new
system are high enough to severely limit its use by most Niueans.

[edit] See also

 Free software portal

 Base station subsystem

 Um interface
 USRP
 GNU Radio

[edit] References
1. ^ Bort, Julie. Burning Man's open source cell phone system could help save the world,
Network World, August 30, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
2. ^ Naone, Erica. Build Your Own Cellular Network, Technology World, May 2010.
Retrieved on December 7, 2011.
3. ^ Takahash, Dean DEMO: Range Networks rings in cell-phone service for $2 a month
VentureBeat, September 14, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
4. ^ Paget, Chris. OpenBTS on Droid, Chris Paget's Blog, February 19, 2010. Retrieved
Dec. 6 2011.
5. ^ Paget, Chris. Practical Cellphone Spying, DEF CON 18, July 30, 2010. Retrieved Dec.
6 2011.
6. ^ Claburn, Thomas. Google Bets $20,000 You Can't Hack Chrome, Information Week,
February 04, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
7. ^ Federal Communications Commission, WD9XKN Experimental Special Temporary
Authorization, August 24, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
8. ^ Burgess, David. The OpenBTS Project - an open-source GSM base station LWN.net,
September 4, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
9. ^ The Unofficial Non-Carrier of Burning Man 2008 OpenBTS website. Retrieved
December 6, 2011.
10. ^ Burgess, David. OpenBTS Nevada Test Site Astricon 2009, October 13, 2009.
Retrieved December 7, 2011.
11. ^ Burgess, David. Paga Legba 2011, OpenBTS Burning Man 2011 Wiki. Retrieved on
December 7, 2011.
12. ^ Burgess, David. Burning Man 2011 - Yes we were there The OpenBTS Chronicles,
September 6, 2011. Retrieved on December 7, 2011.
13. ^ Burgess, David. FAKALOFA LAHI ATU, The OpenBTS Chronicles, March 7, 2010.
Retrieved on December 7, 2011.

[edit] External links

[edit] Official

 OpenBTS website
 OpenBTS project portal
 OpenBTS blog

[edit] Other
  Burning Man test network photographs at Flickr.
 OpenBTS Wiki in Chinese

[edit] Media

 Mills, Elinor. Phones at Burning Man: Can you hear me now? CNET News, September
10, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
 Corbet, Jonathan.The trouble with OpenBTS, LWN.net, February 24, 2009. Retrieved
December 6, 2011.
 Burgess, David. Extending VoIP to the GSM Air Interface, eComm 2009. Retrieved
December 6, 2011.
 Bort, Julie. Burning Man's open source cell phone system could help save the world,
Network World, August 30, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
 McMillan, Robert. Coming Soon: A New Way to Hack Into Your Smartphone, PC
World, Jan 17, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011.

[edit] Related Projects

 Airprobe
 OpenBSC
 OsmocomBB

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