Range Networks

Range Networks

Corporate logo for Range Networks
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	2011
Headquarters	San Francisco, CA, USA
Key people	David Burgess, Co-Founder & CEO Harvind Samra, Co-Founder & VP engineering Faith Sedlin, COO Stephan Wullschleger, VP of global services
Products	Snap Network 5150 Series Range Networks EduKit
Number of employees	20+
Website	http://rangenetworks.com/

Range Networks, Inc. is a U.S. company that provides open-source software products used to operate cellular networks. Founded in 2011, Range Networks is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with satellite offices worldwide.

History

In 2007 David Burgess and Harvind Samra created OpenBTS, subsequently releasing the source code to the public to provide cellular service to people in rural and remote regions.

In 2010 the founders incorporated as Range Networks to commercialize OpenBTS based products and deploy networks worldwide. Range Networks deployments can now be found on all seven continents including Antarctica.

Technology

Range Networks is a provider of U.S.-made commercial open source cellular systems. Using a combination of Range Networks hardware and software, network operators can build networks in which traditional GSM handsets are treated as virtual SIP endpoints. The company supports 2G, 2.5G and 3G GSM systems.

OpenBTS Project

Range Networks maintains and contributes to the OpenBTS Project, an open source software defined radio implementation of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) radio access network that presents normal GSM handsets as virtual SIP endpoints. Range Networks produces proprietary software packages releasing their source code mostly under the GNU AGPL while holding copyright under single commercial entity selling commercial licenses, support and hardware.

In August 2013, Range Networks announced the release of an update to OpenBTS, providing developers with the ability to incorporate Internet access through a packet-oriented mobile data service known as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

Deployments

Range Networks has worked with university and research groups to deploy cellular networks in rural regions around the world.

Indonesia: Partnering with UC Berkeley’s Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions (TIER) research group a cellular network was established in Papua, Indonesia. In mid-2012 a wireless Internet service provider in rural Papua contacted the TIER group about setting up a low power GSM base station in a remote village in the Central Highlands of Papua. The village now has both voice and global SMS service and the network is profitable for local service providers.

Zambia: In collaboration with the UC Santa Barbara’s Mobility Management and Networking Laboratory (Moment Lab) a cellular network was deployed to study the economic feasibility of bringing cellular networks to remote regions. The deployment of the network provided the remote village of Macha in Zambia with the capability of making and receiving calls and sending and receiving local SMS messages. The network also allowed for outgoing global calls and outgoing global SMS text messages on a trial basis.

Mexico: Through a partnership with non-profit organization [Rhizomatica http://rhizomatica.org/] a cellular network was established in Oaxaca, Mexico. Covering a village of approximately 2500 residents, where traditional cellular service was previously non-existent, the network is now serving over 450 residents who are able to make local and global calls and send text messages. Today, the community has its own cellular infrastructure, including billing and management of the network on their own.

Antarctica: The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), an environmental protection agency used Range Networks equipment to extend a private network used by researchers. The agency has plans for three new sites to complete coverage of the entire operational area.