Just joined. I’m searching for a good way to construct a list potential cellular upload frequencies for a given location. Looks like I have some learning to do before I can tap into this amazing database.
Hello,am Winston Mhango from Malawi
Hi everybody, Hi @Sagar,
My name is Olivier FAVRE from France. I’m a tech leader of the PGHM (Mountain Rescue in France).
I have been investing for more than 15 years in victim location technologies in all scenarios and cases of use. We are currently working particularly on the location of the missing person in worrying circumstances.
Thanks for this work.
Hey guys!
My name is Rick here, happy to see this cell id info DB is crowdsourced by so many people pulling together. I just have a general question. I come from using CellMapper, if any of you are familiar with that. How does OpenCellID compare in terms of accuracy, information availability, and updated info?
In addition, I would love to use this in an app I am creating. Do I need a commercial license for this, especially, if my app will start out relatively small? I could provide info through users using my app, but I’m not sure how it would compare with current data, and if it would even be useful. I am looking for something that I could always contribute to, but wouldn’t want my users’ app crashing because for some reason I wasn’t hitting the contribute limit.
Thanks!
,Rick
Thanks for signing up, Rick.
We haven’t done a study on accuracy and availability of cell datasets against Cellmapper. Maybe comparing raw stats against OpenCelliD data will help? Here’s cellmappers stats page vs OpenCelliDs
If you’re just starting out, you do not need a commercial license since you’re trying to understand commercial viability of your app. I appreciate you taking an interest in contributing data 
every bit helps.
1 Like
Hi! My name is Arash, and I’m trying to make sense of the Differential files. Typically, I would wait a day before asking this question and performing my own test. However, in this case, I decided to ask sooner. I downloaded the latest cell_towers.csv.gz file, and when I used Python Pandas to determine what had changed compared to yesterday’s Differential file, I did not see any differences. It makes sense because I expect that yesterday’s Differential file is already in today’s file (1GB file). So my question is, what could change in a daily file? What should I take into account when trying to find differences in data like this?
Suppose the row of data I’m interested in a Differential file is:
radio,mcc,net,area,cell,unit,lon,lat,range,samples,changeable,created,updated,averageSignal
GSM,208,1,22785,695,0,0.312797,49.317361,23214,112,1,1308983842,1681652173,0
To pinpoint this particular row of data in the 1GB file, I had to search using the following properties:
radio = GSM
mcc = 208
net = 1
area = 22785
cell = 695
Is this the proper way to determine what changed in a large file compared to the rows of data found in the Differential files?
Hello, I’m Alexander. I liked your platform of practical advice, very informative. I am interested in this area. I would like to gain more knowledge. With the execution of your policy without insults and flood))) Regards
Hi. My name is Manuel Espinoza and I am from Mexico, For several years I was Trimble Mapping & GIS Certified Trainer and at this time I am working on a telecomunications project.
Hi, I am Larry from Hannibal, Missouri.
I joined because, in more recent days, I have developed a deep fascination with cell towers and how they function. Not sure where this recent interest came from, but it’s turned more into an obsession it seems. I’ve been already learning much regarding MCCs and MNCs etc; still trying to figure out or learn where LACs are derived from, as well as learn more about the frequencies and bands etc. I think it’s pretty interesting how all this technology works, and I consider myself a pretty Techie individual (although not quite as savvy as Tim McGee on CBS’ NCIS, but would certainly like to be! 
). Perhaps, if I spend enough time here, I may get more Techie like McGee. LOL
It seems like I’m in for some fascinating reads, so I guess I’ll sit back and enjoy the material.
Hi.
I am interested in detecting IMSI-Catchers.
So, I am here to aquire an OpenCellID API key, first of all.
Hi,
I’m a software developer working in the cellular IoT space. My name is Matt. I’ve struck a deal with a reputable book publisher to write the first book on cellular connectivity in the IoT space. It’s a practical guide to the many challenges of establishing and maintaining cellular connectivity, especially for mobile systems moving in and between regions of poor connectivity. The book should be released in late 2024.
My company produces and sells SpotMyBus (see spotmybus.com), a system for tracking and managing fleets of school buses. Our customers are school districts and we serve districts in many states.
We designed and manufacture our own tracking device. It runs Linux (Ubuntu 20.04), and uses a hybrid keypad/text-to-speech user interface. When placed in “debug” mode, it calls out signal strength, MNO, and distance traveled since previous report every 10 seconds, while also calling out connections, disconnections, and connection progress (while trying to connect). It logs everything it speaks, and a whole lot more.
We also design and manufacture our own cellular modems. After designing a modem around a ublox module (SARA R410) that is unstable and unreliable, and getting absolutely no technical support (after having purchased a reel of modules) we threw in the towel on ublox and switched Quectel. We developed modems around their BG95/BG96/EG91 family of modules and have found their modules and support to be outstanding.
I have, for some time, wanted to be able to additionally report distance to connected cell tower. Theoretically, if I know the signal strength at Point A and the signal strength at Point B (and both points were registered on the same tower), and the distance between Point A and Point B, and the relationship between distance to tower and signal strength then I can calculate the distance from each of the points to the tower–assuming the tower and Point A and Point B are all points on a single line.
In practice, signal strength measurements frequently vary by 3 dBm (or more) from one reading to the next even when a device is stationary, so as a practical matter I that approach is not useful (I think).
Recently, I started poking around the Internet looking for exactly the kind of data provided by the OpenCellId project.
I downloaded the data for the US, massaged it a bit to discard fields I don’t need, reduce the records to 17 (binary) bytes per cell, and organize the data for quick disk-based lookups. The file is 85mb and fits on my tracker, so now it can do look-ups on-the-fly and call out distance-to-tower too (every 10 seconds).
I have a couple of questions:
- after reading various questions and comments regarding the “Range” values in the data, am I correct to understand that a Range of, say, 1000 means there is a 98% probability the actual cell tower location is inside a circle, centered on the estimated lat/lon, with a radius of 1000 meters?
Assuming–perhaps incorrectly–the answer to (1) is true:
- for many cells (~3 million), the Range values are “pretty small,” at 1000m, but for many the Range values are 10km or more. If the calculated distance from the tracker to the estimated cell location, is 1500 meters and the Range is 5000 meters, then all I really know is the tower is 0 - 6500 meters a way, and there is nothing useful to report.
Please note: I am not complaining. Rather, I am trying to understand the realities of using OpenCellId data, and thinking through approaches to improve Range values in the database.
Contributing Data
My trackers are on school buses. Half my customers are rural. It’s rural areas, I expect, where your data is most sparse and least precise. School buses go everywhere. Currently, my trackers log cell info every 10 seconds, but that is easily varied. My cellular modems use multi-SIMs which get access to ATT, T-Mobile and Verizon, so a single tracker can, theoretically, gather cell info for all three MNOs.
My trackers send location packets every 30 seconds which include some signal strength information. I am able to squeeze the packets into 18 bytes (payload) and use UDP to reduce packet overhead. The EG91 module has access to:
MCC
MNC
Radio Technology
TAC
Cell ID
RSSI
RSRP
RSRQ
SINR
srxlev (RX level value for Base Station)
Band
Bandwidth
I cannot send all of that data with each location packet, as it would greatly increase the packet size, but I could accumulate data on each tracker, analyze it periodically, and transfer a summary to one of our servers. The server could move the data to OpenCellId. For example, during a month, a tracker might collect many hundreds of samples for each cell it passes through. It could then perform the same sort of analysis OpenCellID performs on such data, and share the result for each cell, thereby reducing the the volume of data transferred by more than 99%.
I would be happy to discuss this matter if you folks are interested.
Regards,
Matt
1.757.277.4330
[email protected]
I am a *
- who has had the blessings of many mentors as well as the time in a private existence to spend thousands of hours researching the very depths catacombs and archives that provided a great opportunity to grow wisdom and live without fear. I test and develop apps that are integral and do what they say without hidden permissions or backdoor associations breach privacy or agreement fields.
I believe if it is to be it is up to me. I cannot wait on others to make things better i must push and put in my efforts in order to be successful and satisfied.
Today i have a private association called living eath solutions and we teach the truth about self sufficiency and self sustainability. So those generations that follow will get to breathe easy and not be cleaning up the forebears mistakes or lack of will public
sheep
herd mentalities. I am to leave a legacy of ease and grace where freedom/peace is not the absence war and oppression.
Ty for the welcome.
●■●○•€£《WeR1%trů &hųmãņ》●■●○•€£
From my side to your side souls reside/|
“I DO NOT CONSENT”: NOTICE TO PRINCIPAL IS NOTICE TO AGENT NOTICE TO AGENT IS NOTICE TO PRINCIPAL!
**************************************************************************************************
NOTICE: Sender is a CONSULTANT and LIAISON ONLY.
**************************************************************************************************
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
**************************************************************************************************
This private email communication by this "Internationally Protected Foreign Official", an "International Diplomat", in the Original Jurisdiction, registered in the Rolls of Chancery, the official recorder site for the Court of Chancery establishing all the facts on record as the Living Beneficiary of his Estate. The Court of Chancery operates above the Roman Curia and all Civil and Criminal Courts of the World. He is a Freeborn Living Divine Spirit Incarnate Man of Divine Source having a Hu-Man Experience and is protected under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Postmaster General, Divine Province, which is an International Peace Council established under the "Universal Postal Treaty For The Americas 2010" operating under the authority and protection of the Papal Seal of Peter under country code DVN/DP/999. All members of the Council are at peace and pose's no-threat as a terrorist to the United States and the many franchised County, City, Towns and States thereof. Please take note that you are bound and liable under the following, to wit: TITLE 18, Part I; Chapter 1 Sec. 1.; Sec. 11. & will be fined per my FEE SCHEDULE NOTICE. Eleven (11) living witnesses has my documents. This email is in compliance with regulations as concerns private email carriers. It is intended solely for the use of addressee only. If you are not the intended recipient, you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing or using any of this information. If you received this communication in error, contact sender immediately and destroy all material in its entirety.
I would be open to sharing what i am working on
Hello all i am new to the community forum and just getting. Started with everything. Hope to plug in a project number soon as soon as i figure out where to do that . Thanks
Hey,
My names Matt, i work in powered access and am building a tool to help me plan deliveries and collections of equipment to masts in the UK. Hoping to utilise your data to make my job easier
Glad to be here =]
Hello everyone my name.is Steve. I used to build radio, tv towers and cell towers. I was told about this site by a friend of mine. I believe my phone is hacked and he said I might find the answers I need here. I tried dialing some codes for android but when I call it I get a message saying we cannot make this call redial or contact Verizon. Any ideas?