Your private local GSM Cell

[ygeffens]

Hi

I know about simboxes. You put in a SIM-card, connect it to your (company)pbx, setup LCR, and you call out over the simbox to your cellphones.

Now, I'm looking for something that does the opposite.

A local GSM cell, where you can program the sim-cardnumber, allowed to make use of it. This way you can use your cellphone and call thru your pstn-line.

I know Ericsson has/had something like it (at least, a few years ago they did), but I don't know if this is still in production.

Anyone?

[andy]

Surely you might as well use any other callthrough arrangement, like a calling card or Voipbuster, which would not require another GSM subscription?

Or have I misunderstood what you want?

[ygeffens]

I want a seamless integration of any cellphone (registered in the device).

So I don't want to use an expensive Nokia E70 with voip capabilities, or dial a callthru number, and than dial the number I want to reach.

I simply want my cellphone (and all the other cellphones in the company) to be able to register to the personal GSM cell, and have their calls routed through the pstn network. So all users will have automatically the possibility to use the PBX's possibilities.

I also have a customer with very bad gsm-reception where the company is located.
I just found this: http://www.mobilised.com.au/content/view/679/77/
This device will have an ADSL2+ modem build in, but I'm looking for something more universal. A device that has the same possibilities as a simbox, connect to a pbx, setup LCR, and voila.

[PhotoJim]

This is an interesting idea, and it has some practical application.

The stumbling block, I suspect, is that cell phone frequencies are regulated. You can't just put up your own service on the 1900 (or 1800) band (or 850 or 900 for that matter) because you don't own any spectrum. You'd have to get the carrier's agreement. That would require efforts to ensure that your cell site wasn't interfering with the service of other customers.

WiFi, conversely, is completely unregulated and you are free to reasonably interfere with your neighbours. The spectrum is public domain.

I know I'd be annoyed if my neighbour's cell site made my service less good at my house. In dense housing like apartment buildings, it'll be even more of an issue than in my neighbourhood of detached bungalows.

The only way I can see this being viable would be if someone put out equipment for GSM service on a public domain frequency, e.g. GSM 2400. Of course, that would mean we'd need phones that supported it and you'd have to persuade your provider's SIM that you could "roam" on it.

[ygeffens]

Well, I don't think there is a problem as long as the power of the signals is low enough, and since the SIM-card number of a neighbour is not allowed to connect, his phone will not connect, I assume.

Anyone who know about another (upcoming device) ?

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by ygeffens

Well, I don't think there is a problem as long as the power of the signals is low enough, and since the SIM-card number of a neighbour is not allowed to connect, his phone will not connect, I assume.

That's just the thing - by law, it is a problem. You can't broadcast on those frequencies without your carrier's consent (or the consent of the other carriers, if you're using their frequencies instead). That spectrum is not available for the general public to use.

When you get a mobile phone, you get permission from the mobile provider to use your little slice of the spectrum with your cell phone, but certainly not with a cell site. Only the provider is allowed to put up sites.

I have heard of cases where businesses have put up repeaters and picocells for a provider for their own convenience, but with the cooperation and consent of the provider. Those sites and retransmitters also worked for other subscribers of the same service.

To do this on your own would be in contravention of law almost anywhere I can think.

[RTuesday]

What you're looking for if you want your own sims is a picocell, like
http://www.mobilecomms-technology.co...ing/ip_access/

But as others have mentioned, it is regulated. In the UK a batch of licenses for these were issued last year, lots of universities and large companies are starting to set up their own mini-networks on their campuses.

You'll also need a roaming provider if you then want seamless roaming outside your local picocell, wire9.com is one of the UK providers of this.

Maybe something more suitable would be an amplifier/repeater, it it's just to fix bad reception? Like this:
http://www.criterioncellular.com/rep...peater-SR.html
(us version, but there's probably something similar in Europe)

[ygeffens]

I'm slowly understanding why the device (when opening this thread) does not exist. Would have been great. Simply repeating the signals is not what I want to do, I want to replace dect-phones, by the phones of the people working for the company (any GSM).

Anyway, thanks for thinking with me, we'll have to think of something else.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by ygeffens

I'm slowly understanding why the device (when opening this thread) does not exist. Would have been great. Simply repeating the signals is not what I want to do, I want to replace dect-phones, by the phones of the people working for the company (any GSM).

GSM 2400 would solve the problem nicely. GSM 5800 too, at least here in North America. Those frequencies are public domain.

The problem is that the mobile service providers don't have an incentive to give us this product. Right now there is enough network capacity that they'd rather we just use their services.