Apply the principles of open source hardware, more specifically to telephony hardware can result in cheaper phone services, which could make a huge success in developing countries. Several projects are working on devices and programs that can dramatically reduce the costs of providing telephone services, especially in rural areas or who do not have infrastructure to support these services. These projects have the potential to bring telephony to areas that do not have telephone service.

The principles of open source hardware is very similar to the open source software. The ideas that make up an object, be it a diagram of the circuit board or CAD files for the assembly of a clock, are available for review copies and modifications. Therefore, many hardware projects, open source telephony adopted the same license used by projects traditionally open-source software, like GPL and MIT.Some even took specific licenses for open hardware, such as the TAPR Open Hardware License.

One person in particular, created a hardware design open-source can change the face of telephony. David Rowe, an engineer from Adelaide, South Australia, wants to make phone calls right, not a privilege of people around the world. And he designed the hardware (which obviously runs Linux) that will handle it.

Rowe started the Free Telephony Project, or free telephony project in 2005. Like many developers of open source software, Rowe could not bear the desire to develop the PBX IP04, "a system of low cost telephony can handle analog phone calls and the Internet using VoIP"

The IP04 is an embedded device powered by the Blackfin processor from Analog Devices, running Linux as operating system and software serving as Asterisk PBX. The IP04 was developed to reduce costs with the implementation of telephone systems to the point that anyone could deploy the system in developing nations. The concept of the device is not new - in fact, Rowe had opened a company (which has sold) offering hardware for telephony on Linux. What makes the IP04 different is the relatively low cost (starting around $ 300), low power requirements (the unit can be powered by solar and / or batteries, if necessary) and the fact that the entire design hardware and software is open source.

Rowe sees possible deployments IP04 as seeds of entrepreneurship in developing areas. A local entrepreneur could install a device and provide telephone services to people in your area, acting as a small telephone company. Rowe believes that with appropriate assistance in the initial deployment, the IP04 is an opportunity to finding the right model franchise, which permitted the growth of viral and autossustentado telephony in developing communities. Starting a business is a much more powerful to offer a service that depends on donations and support from developed countries. "

Rowe posted their progress on a blog while designing the IP04, and his work caught the attention of Atcom, a Chinese manufacturer of telephony equipment. The Atcom contacted to thank the open design that he had published and offered to help if he ever needed to make something. When IP04 reached the prototype stage, he demanded the favor. "Three weeks later, DHL delivered at the door of my house two prototypes assembled." Hardware finalized for production, first made in July 2007. Were only 18 months to go from idea to finished product.

The support of Atcom is an example of how the open nature of the project contributed to the progress of IP04. Rowe wishes to thank all those who helped him in his career: "I'm on the shoulders of giants. Thanks to all who contributed, and whose work I took advantage. Not necessarily in this order: the Atcom, the staff of the Analog Devices Blackfin, the Asterisk community and the teams Astfin and BlackfinOne. "

The IP04 has led to other devices, such as IP01, IP02 and the IP08, which have the largest differential amount of possible connections to analog telephones or analog lines, if the VoIP is not available. The Atcom produce units for sale, and Rowe also sells the devices on its Web site (in addition to circuit boards "virgins" for the adventurous who want to set up their units on their own). The IP04 has been subjected to a series of certification tests, earning the FCC certification in the United States and A-tick in Australia. There is a forum where active users can get support, and where many of these users have helped to expand the device with additional software or hunting bugs. A company started a successful business sales and support with a wide range of devices, adding a custom firmware and opening their own community forum.

The possibilities of communication open and low cost to the world are many. The series IP0x device seems to be just the beginning. And Steven Song realized that. As a member of the telecommunications sector of the Shuttleworth Foundation, Song has been involved in project design Village Telco, who shared many of the ideas in the vision of your project in Rowe Free Telephony. Song invited Rowe and several other like-minded individuals to a workshop where ideas were discussed to expand the concept of a toolkit for telephone companies at low cost.

During the first meeting occurred in June 2008, the First Workshop of the Village Telco, the idea of the next generation of telephony hardware open source came to life as the Mesh Potato. " It is basically a Wi-Fi router with an FXS port (for connecting an analog common) in a mesh network. The original concept was created by Kristen Peterson, co-Rowe, during a conference in 2007.

The concept of the device is simple. A small unit the size of a Wi-Fi router policy (using the OpenWRT) costing about $ 50 and a connection to an analog phone cheap (for FXS port). This device would operate in a mesh network with other similar devices, in much the same way that the OLPC's XO laptop, creating in essence a telephone network ad-hoc infrastructure that would dispense an additional charge. The devices can operate independently or be connected to a local provider. According to Rowe, "Many people living in developing countries spend much of their income on mobile phones (up to 40%). They are being exploited by business models that cell phones seem to attract. We intend to form a small competition with a service that will work in an unlicensed spectrum. "

The use in developing nations is not the only potential application for the device Mesh Potato. Song provides the use of it in crisis situations. If after a major disaster, the mobile and fixed telephony are disrupted, there could be a very rapid deployment of devices Mesh Potato. Although still only a concept at the time, Song drew an interesting scenario in a blog post on the Village Telco.

The Mesh Potato has reached the status of prototype and the first devices are already being prepared for distribution to those interested in testing it around the world. When asked what would mark the success of the Village Telco project, Rowe says, "Six months of operations in a small town making a profit for the entrepreneur. Making money is the best way to prove that the technology works. "

The innovations of the telephony hardware open source are not limited to Rowe and the Village Telco project. The project Astfin, a distribution with Asterisk and uClinux, not only supports serial devices IP0x also produces hardware capable of providing different connection options, such as BIS standards and ISDN PRI.

It is clear that the community is taking things further away. The project OpenBTS is an "application of open source Unix that uses the USRP to provide a common GSM phones for the GSM air interface (the" A ") and uses the Asterisk software PBX to connect calls. The combination of the ubiquitous GSM air interface to the transmission via VoIP can form the basis of a new type of network for mobile phones, capable of being deployed and operated at costs much lower than current technologies in developing countries. "Essentially, they added a hardware device source (the USRP) to open source software, and enabled the creation of a wireless network compatible with many mobile phones around the world. The system was put into testing recently in the event Burning Man Festival, and there are detailed posts to tell what worked and what did not.

If the designs Open Telephony, Telco and OpenBTS Village will be successful is a mystery, but in three cases, the decision to open not only the software but the hardware has already yielded profits to accelerate time-to-market and community development . None of these projects would likely be successful if other software projects and open source hardware do not exist. As the world today benefits from this type of software, the future of open source hardware seems to harbor many possibilities.