The goal of this project is to create a private secure portable cell network utilizing basic technologies for mobile phones that can be easily deployable in any situation. In the event of an emergency, commodity cell networks can easily become severely congested and overwhelmed. Having the ability to set up secure and reliable communications for civilians or law enforcement can save lives, facilitate responses, and provide confidence in decision making.
The radio system that we are using for the cell phones to communicate with is the GSM protocol (Global System for Mobiles) more commonly used by cellular provider such as AT&T and T-Mobile. To broadcast the radio system, we are going to be using a Software Defined Radio (SDR) device called the BladeRF (external). This hardware is controlled by the Raspberry PI (small single-board computer) (external) using YateBTS (external) which is software that implements functions and protocols of both the radio access network and the core GSM network to allow cell phones to communicate using voice, text, and data. The Raspberry PI is instrumental to reach our goals of portability due to its size, low power usability, and cost over alternatives.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
Note that you’d need a license from your national regulatory agency (e.g. the FCC) to run this device legally.