First OsmocomGMR code release

The OsmocomGMR project. GMR is Geo Mobile Radio, the specifications for (among others) the Thuraya satellite telephone network.

For more details see the OsmocomGMR announcement.

I still remember some years ago, when Dieter and I were first working on some code to implement the GSM protocols, which later ended up becoming OpenBSC. A number of other developers joined the project ever since, and we have a wide user base, from individuals over academia up to commercial deployments. Next we did GPRS, which was another journey into a new world. While OsmoSGSN still has some bugs here and there, it has come a long way ever since.

In December 2010 at 27C3 I had this crazy idea of looking into yet another communications system (TETRA). Just one week of coding later, the first working code emerged and later became OsmocomTETRA. Again, history repeated itself and what was started by one person became a collaborative effort in very short time.

Finally, in July 2011, I thought it would be time for yet another communications system: ETSI GMR, used by Thuraya. This time I was too busy to actually write any code, but I just read specifications, found a supplier for some equipment and got some fellow Osmocom developers interested in it. For weeks, the IRC channel was flooded with daily reports about progress, new measurements/traces that had been made and about new code that had been written. About three months later, the code is capable of demodulating, decoding, de-interleaving, and it can give you a BCCH protocol trace in wirshark.

With this pace of progess, I wonder where we might be in yet another one or two years. At least on my personal agenda are the following items:

  • Finish Erlang TCAP + MAP implementation, which will allow us to implement a true HLR/AUC and finally a new MSC that can interoperate with GSM/3G core networks
  • Integrate OpenBSC and OpenBTS, especially now that we already have the BTS-side A-bis implementation as part of osmo-bts
  • Get funding to implement a GPRS/EDGE PCU, enabling osmo-bts to talk to OsmoSGSN
  • Work on some hardware+software interface that allows us to use the Motorola Horizon Macro BTS with OpenBSC, or at least their TRXs (called CTU) with osmo-bts
  • Implement a UMA/GAN gateway (for UMA capable phones and femtocells)
  • Support IuCS/IuPS from our MSC and SGSN for 3G Femtocells
  • Complete the SIMtrace firmware/software to do full MITM and SIM card emulation
  • Work on automated regression testing for osmo-bts, OpenBSC, OsmoSGSN and all other GSM related Osmocom components.
  • Continue the excellent work that has been done on supporting MTK chipsets from OsmocomBB at some point

At least now you know there is never any reason to be bored. If you have time and are interested in helping with implementing any of this stuff, let me know.