Social network giant, Facebook recently unveiled OpenCellular - an open source, software-defined wireless access platform designed to drive down the cost of setting up cellular networks in rural areas. The company aims to develop affordable new technology that can expand capacity and make it more cost-effective for operators to deploy networks in places where coverage is scarce.
The platform is designed to improve connectivity since it can be deployed to support a range of communication options, from a network in a box to an access point supporting everything from 2G and LTE to Wi-Fi access points.
The proposed system is composed of two main subsystems: general-purpose and base-band computing (GBC) with integrated power and housekeeping system, and radio frequency (RF) with integrated analog front-end. Facebook plans to open-source the hardware design, along with necessary firmware and control software, to enable telecom operators, entrepreneurs, OEMs, and researchers to locally build, implement, deploy, and operate wireless infrastructure based on this platform.
Facebook said that it aims to work with Telecom Infra Project (TIP) members to build an active open source community around cellular access technology development and to select trial locations for further validation of technical, functional, and operational aspects of the platform. The company added that traditional cellular infrastructure can be very expensive, making it difficult for operators to deploy it everywhere and for smaller organizations or individuals to solve hyperlocal connectivity challenges.
