GSM test network at 32C3, after all

Contrary to my blog post yesterday, it looks like we will have a private GSM network at the CCC congress again, after all.

It appears that Vodafone Germany (who was awarded the former DECT guard band in the 2015 spectrum auctions) is not yet using it in December, and they agreed that we can use it at the 32C3.

With this approval from Vodafone Germany we can now go to the regulator (BNetzA) and obtain the usual test license. Given that we used to get the license in the past, and that Vodafone has agreed, this should be a mere formality.

For the German language readers who appreciate the language of the administration, it will be a Frequenzzuteilung für Versuchszwecke im nichtöffentlichen mobilen Landfunk.

So thanks to Vodafone Germany, who enabled us at least this time to run a network again. By end of 2016 you can be sure they will have put their new spectrum to use, so I'm not that optimistic that this would be possible again.