The Man Burns in 130 Days

We have cleared the legal hurdles to run a test network at Burning Man 2009. This network will probably operate in the PCS1900 band, making it compatible with nearly all AT&T and T-Mobile handsets currently used in the US, as well as with any tri-band or quad-band handsets sold anywhere else in the world.

The current plan is to deploy a system largely intended for local (BRC-only) text messaging. We will also support limited speech service, connecting on-playa calls through user-provided numbers and routing inbound calls through the +883 country code. As a practical matter, the Burning Man 2009 experimental network will be important for testing hardware and software designs for use in rural villages, remote facilities and disaster relief applications.

We will release more details as they come together.