[Asterisk-Users] gsm picocells

[Steve Kennedy]

On Sat, Mar 18, 2006 at 10:16:27PM +1100, James Harper wrote:

[snip]
> Ah. More complicated than I'd hoped but not more than I suspected :)
> So the product that can accept gsm phone registrations and calls and
> trunk them to asterisk via E1/TDMoE/TDMoIP/SIP/IAX is still wishware? Oh
> well. I guess hybrid gsm/dect/wifi phones will reach maturity first
> which is probably a better solution to the problem anyway.

There IS an initiative called UMA (unlicensed mobiel access) whereby a
GSM phone can roam on to a local WiFi or Bluetooth network, the specs
are freely published. In the UK BT are offering a service based on this
called Fusion, which uses a Bluetooth basestation and (IP) broadband
backhaul and some Motorola phone. When you're in range of the basesation
you roam on to it and calls will go that way (and at a cheaper rate).

Though the specs are freely available, you need operator co-operation
for it to happen, which is the stumbling block for most players.

BT use Vodafone, though BT Mobile is a MVNO of Vodafone which probably
helps, though they're also big enough to be very persuasive.

> Thanks for the info, if nothing else I'm now a little wiser on the
> subject.

Wisdom is everything ;)

Steve

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