[Noisebridge-discuss] Noisebridge (GSM) cell phone equipment

[Jonathan Lassoff]

Encapsulated within <3664df540903080838p71576a30t7cd369056bd27c48 at mail.gmail.com> on Sun, Mar 08, 2009 at 08:38:41AM -0700, aestetix aestetix <aestetix at gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject: Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] Noisebridge (GSM) cell phone equipment
> From: aestetix aestetix <aestetix at gmail.com>
> To: Jacob Appelbaum <jacob at appelbaum.net>
> Cc: "noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net" <noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net>
> 
> Possibly stupid question: will an Android work with it? It would be frigging
> sweet if you could have an app that switched between the Noisebridge network
> and whatever phone network your Android uses.

Well... Android is just an operating system, so that would depend on the
hardware you're running it on.

If you're referring to the HTC Dream-based Google phone, these have a
quad-band GSM radio, so the "phone" part should work once this is
going.
However, it's also contingent upon any subsidy locks present on the
phone or your SIM. On the Dev Phone, it is possible to open a function from within
Android settings menu and select a specific mobile carrier.

Even in the presence of these locks, it may be possible to "drown out"
your regular carrier's signal (a-la Limor's WaveBubble or similar) and
get your phone to "roam" onto a Noisebridge BTS and trick it into
thinking that it has registered itself.

As far as data goes, GPRS/EDGE may be possible in the future, but
UMTS-based 3G is right out with this equipment.

I can't tell without being able to open the bottom (there is a lock on
the bottom cover/shroud, but no key nearby), but it looks like there are
two TRXes, so maybe it does 900/1900.

--j

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