Facebook’s OpenCellular and 5BARz network extender share hopes of improving connectivity in developing countries
Facebook has launched OpenCellular, an open-source project that aims to help mobile carriers in developing countries enter the market. The initiative, which is part of Facebook’s plan to connect four billion people who remain offline, touts affordability as its main advantage.
“One of the reasons the expansion of cellular networks has stalled is that the ecosystem is constrained. Traditional cellular infrastructure can be very expensive, making it difficult for operators to deploy it everywhere and for smaller organisations or individuals to solve hyperlocal connectivity challenges. It’s often unaffordable for them to attempt to extend network access in both rural and developed communities,” Facebook engineer and project head Kashif Ali wrote last month.
OpenCellular aims to provide an economical solution in areas beyond the range of major cellular providers and does so with an inexpensive, customisable hardware and a corresponding free software. The hardware solution is a highly-modular cell platform, with a general-baseband computing component. This is comprised of specialised processors, co-processors and sensors for voltage, current and temperature. It could be powered by solar, DC, external batteries, an internal battery or Ethernet sources.
It also has a radio with integrated front-end, which is responsible for the cell signal broadcasts and supports different ranges from 2G and LTE to Wi-Fi. Its on-board computing and storage capacity allow OpenCellular to be customised to function for various sorts of population densities. It is built to survive extreme weather and temperatures and has a mounting solution for high winds and rugged climates. Placement is also no issue, as OpenCellular could be placed in any tall structure whether it’s a few feet from the ground or in a tower or tree.
The software is user-friendly as it needs little-to-no setup, and can direct text messages, voice calls and 2G data.
“We aim to work with 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,” Ali said.
Facebook is following the steps of 5BARz International (OTCQB: BARZ) in solving poor global connectivity. While Facebook is concentrating on providing cellular network connections in areas not covered by telcos, 5BARz is working on ending spotty cellular coverage in dense urban areas and rural areas barely at the edge of telcos’ range.
The network extender is a single plug-and-play unit and is the world’s first highly evolved and innovative carrier grade technology device that delivers hugely improved cellular signals, enhanced voice, data and video reception, and extended life on all cellular-equipped devices . Aside from giving mobile users five bars of signal, users also experience 80 percent more battery life, optimising their work and personal life connectivity.
Recently, 5BARz International announced their partnership with Airtel, following Vodafone, for the continued commercial rollout of the network extender. India, which is known for its persisting call-drop problem, is where the network extender was launched.
"This commercial rollout in India, comprised of some 900 million subscribers, represents the culmination of seven years of research and development for our highly sophisticated cellular network extender. Users in India has can continue to expect a significant improvement in the performance of their cellular device comprised of clear voice communication, faster data transmission, improved battery life and reduced radiation from the cell phone when in use,” 5BARz International CEO Daniel Bland said.
The device ensures network protection as well by eliminating degradation of performance. Similar to OpenCellular, it uses high-grade and patented technologies. The network extender has an integrated antennae, allowing signals to be received and sent in one device, as opposed to the traditional separate antennas for the two functions. It also has an automatically balanced power management to avoid interference with macrocell networks, and a smart signal processing and echo cancellation feature that lessens interference. These two patents allow for quality sound in phone and video calls.
The network extender has a self-regulating feature that combines high-quality output and low energy consumption of only 5 watts. While it is used indoors, the device’s operating temperature ranges from 0 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius, and can be stored from -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius. It also supports all frequencies and spectrums — 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE. Once plugged in, the device can easily manage up to ten users, all using any of their mobile devices at the same time within 4000 sq. ft. of the plugged network extender.
