RangeNetworks
OpenBTS and Range Networks OpenBTS and Range Networks
Jim Forster
February, 2014
An Introduction to
1
Our Mission
Providing wireless service today is complex and
needlessly expensive
2.5B people dont have
access to telephone services
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2
Governments and first
responders need easy to
deploy systems
The Industry Is Ripe For Change
Consumers
Usage skyrocketing: mobile subs 3x landlines and mobile traffic 10% of Internet
traffic.
(1)
Carriers
Regulatory and competitive pressures drive need for reduced costs in core-
markets.
Saturation in core-markets creates desire to expand in developing markets.
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Saturation in core-markets creates desire to expand in developing markets.
Carriers have accepted the need to move to all IP architecture.
Suppliers
There has been little innovation from infrastructure providers (Alcatel,
Ericsson, etc.)
Infrastructure providers have too much momentum in their legacy
architectures
Limited investment in cellular infrastructure startups in past five years.
OpenBTS: Open Source Software
Open source allows transparency and drives low cost
Simplify RAN & Network into commodity HW + open source software
Open, Linux-based platform allows rapid innovation, low cost
Over 40,000 OpenBTS downloads to date
Use powerful but inexpensive Software Defined Radios (700Mhz 2.4Ghz)
5 different SDRs supported
Great platform for students and researchers
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Great platform for students and researchers
Communications System Design- protocols
Digital Signal Processing modulation, error correction
Even hardware design files are Open-Source
Modifications for research
Enables innovation
GSM Traditional Architecture
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HLR - Home Location Register
AuC - Authentication Center
MSC - Mobile Switching Center
VLR - Visitor Location Register
GMSC - Gateway Mobile Switching Center
BSC - Base Station Controller
BTS - Base Transceiver Station
SGSN - Serving GPRS Support Node
GGSN - Gateway GPRS Support Node
OpenBTS collapses GSM/3G
architecture into a single platform
Leverages 3GPP standards: standard
handsets & interconnect
Leverages open standards: Linux,
SQL, Asterisk
Software Defined Radio for RF
GSM OpenBTS Architecture
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Software Defined Radio for RF
Applications & Current Deployments
Laboratories, universities, & testers
Rural cellular and WLL services
Private networks in remote
geographies:
Maritime
Mining
Remote construction
Afghanistan Indonesia
Antarctica Mexico
Argentina Mozambique
Australia Myanmar
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Remote construction
Oil platforms
First Responders
Enterprise wireless PBX systems
Australia Myanmar
Bangladesh New Zealand
Chile Pakistan
Egypt Somalia
French
Guyana
United States
Guyana Zambia
UC Berkeley research
Published in MIT Tech Review
Mostly local calls and texts
Operates even when backhaul drops
900 Mhz, 10w, 2 ARFCN
Example Installation - Papua, Indonesia
(c) Range Networks, Proprietary Information for ICLCT, Dar es Salaam, Oct 24-24, 2012
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< 80w power needed
Villagers pay; school benefits
Simple Deployment: Range RapidCell
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Serves 400 subs over 2km; draws only 35W power Solar-powered site fits in a station wagon!
Example Installation - Macquarie Island (Antarctica)
Pilot site for Australian Antarctic Division.
Closed successful one-year trial in
September 2012, now planning network
expansion.
Self-contained network based on pre-
(c) Range Networks, Proprietary Information for ICLCT, Dar es Salaam, Oct 24-24, 2012
RangeNetworks
Self-contained network based on pre-
existing VoIP installation; local calls are
independent of VSAT link
Saved VSAT Bandwidth
No longer out of service due to solar activity
affecting polar regions satellite service
Example Installation Search and Rescue in Iceland
Broadcast SMS sent Help is on the way
Drive or fly around the area
As a plane or truck moves, note the length
of time that a signal from the mobile phone
takes to reach the unit (timing advance)
(c) Range Networks, Proprietary Information for ICLCT, Dar es Salaam, Oct 24-24, 2012
Distace from
OpenBTS
Flight Path
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Also log the GPS location of the BTS
Calculate the intersection of the circles
Open Source allowed new application using
base platform!
Lost
Person
Our Products Revolutionize Cellular Infrastructure
Line of micro and macro base stations
OpenBTS, 3G, Core Network
Support and services
Offering
Benefits
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Much Less CAPEX and OPEX
Standalone or inter-connected
Low power consumption (35W)
Enables new applications by moving
Intelligence to the network edge
eb Site: OpenBTS.org
ailing List: openbts-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net
Open Source Resources
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iki: https://wush.net/trac/rangepublic
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OpenBTS Development Kit
Complete test network for telecom and university labs
Network simulation for handset testing
Educational and Professional versions
GSM850 / GSM900 / DCS1800 / PCS1900
Single ARFCN
Up to 30m service radius
100mW output power
100-240V power supply
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100-240V power supply
Range OpenCell 5150
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2U rack-mountable
up to 5 ARFCNs
up to 15-20km service radius
10W or 50W output power
12-16 VDC unregulated, 20-225W
Range RapidCell
Designed for outdoor deployments
Weatherproof
Lightweight (10 pounds)
Up to 1W total output power
Low power consumption: 35W max
Up to 2 ARFCNs
Service range up to 5 km
Can be set up in less than an hour
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Radio Interface
Phase 2+ GSM, GPRS or UMTS data
Operating bands 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, depending on model
Software suite
OpenBTS, Asterisk or Yate, Ubuntu Linux, Subscriber registry, SMQueue,
Powerscan
Network interface protocols Speech: SIP/RTP, GSM-FR codec. SMS: SIP RFC-3428 page-mode
Network interface
management
Ethernet / IP
Interfaces HTTP, Browser based UI, SSH console, CLI
Operating temperature -40C to +60C (-42F to +140F) ambient
Dimensions Height:12", Width: 10, Depth: 5. IP-67 Compliant
Range Networks Summary
Founded 2011
San Francisco, California (Silicon Valley)
30 employees
Funded by venture capital
Leads OpenBTS open source project
(www.openbts.org)
COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS
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(www.openbts.org)
Released first commercial products 2013
OpenBTS software commercial version
Range software-defined radio
1W/10W/50W BTS servers
AWARD WINS
Industry
Innovation
Award
Harvind Samra
CTO & Co-Founder
Ex-Kestrel, Rosum, SSPI,
Rockwell Collins
PhD Electrical Engineering, UC
Davis
Executive team with deep experience
in IP communications, cellular & networking
Ed Kozel
President & CEO
Ex-CTO Cisco Systems
Ex-CTIO Deutsche Telekom
Bob Fultz Pedro Rump
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Bob Fultz
VP of Products
Ex-VP of Engineering,
Aeris Communications
Pedro Rump
VP of Engineering
Ex-Sr. VP of Engineering,
ShoreTel
John Callon
Director, Business Development
Ex-Globalstar, CloudMeeting, QMC
Bobbi Frioli
VP of Sales
Ex-VP of Global Sales
Xora, Crowdcast, Tablus
Jim Forster
Terima Kasih!
RangeNetworks
Jim Forster
Jim.forster@rangenetworks.com
19
Extras
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Whats inside
Range Networks SDR1 radio designed specifically for BTS
RF amp and duplexer
mini-ITX embedded PC with Linux OS
calibrated and tested as a system
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Software Defined RAN Platform
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PHY Uplink PHY Downlink
Baseband SW
OpenBTS Radio Abstraction (CPRI-like)
Remote Radio Head
USB 3.0, 3.2Gb/s xfer rate
RANGE designed
Software Defined Radio
(SDR)
700Mhz-2.4Ghz
Embedded CPU: standalone & diags
Multiple loopback stages
FPGA: RRC, FIR filters, upgradeable
GPS timing, dual VCTCXOs for failover
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O
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LINUX
OpenBTS
Services
Mobility (Hand over)
2G, GPRS, UMTS data
3GPP authentication, svcs
LTE (2014)
Platform
Services
Local call switching
2G/3G conversion to SIP
Address Translation
SIP + IP
Real Time RX Real Time TX
GPS timing, dual VCTCXOs for failover
Single board
Baseband waveforms are processed in
software
Standard Intel i7 motherboard
