Connect to Only One Cell Tower

Rizzler

Is this possible? It would limit the precision of location tracking triangulation.

wonder75

Rizzler The baseband chip manages all radio connections. I think it's impossible for the OS to control the way it operates in detail. People have been demanding open sourced hardware for this part of cell devices for decades. It will probably never happen because it's technically complicated and getting licenses from regulators worldwide would be very expensive and time consuming for individuals or groups who would have the skills to create them. After that the manufactures would have to use them in their devices.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseband_processor

After all there are people who at least try to build something:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmocom#OsmocomBB

AlphaElwedritsch

not possible for technical reasons

Rizzler

AlphaElwedritsch Thank you. Can you please expand on why?

DeletedUser69

Rizzler I am not very educated in this area but to answer it plainly the device constantly emits signal in a certain direction and area and has no way of controlling which cell tower receives that signal. So if there are several cell towers in the area they will all receive that signal and then reply or not based on subscriber info.

Nuttso

The device could stop pinging other cell towers as soon as it connects to one. But this would be very impractical. Gos don't really have control over what the BB is doing. It would be nice to be able to set connection to the second signal tower instead of the one with the most powerful signal. But it the end this is all just gimmicks

Rizzler

Nuttso So the firmware handles this not the OS? I wouldn't say its a gimmick. It would make location tracking/selling unreliable for the operators.

Stephan-P

From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G

"
5G networks are cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into small geographical areas called cells. All 5G wireless devices in a cell communicate by radio waves with a cellular base station via fixed antennas, over frequencies assigned by the base station. The base stations, termed nodes, are connected to switching centers in the telephone network and routers for Internet access by high-bandwidth optical fiber or wireless backhaul connections. As in other cellular networks, a mobile device moving from one cell to another is automatically handed off seamlessly.
"

In order to make this work, a device HAS to be connected to multiple basestations

AlphaElwedritsch

So everything has already been clarified.😀
It simply doesn't work.
Question solved, topic closed 👍

Rizzler

AlphaElwedritsch If you hate to see people talk, just close your eyes.

Nuttso

AlphaElwedritsch it simply does work

Stephan-P

Rizzler It's also about compliance. As Google aims to sell mobile Pixel phones on the consumer market and make a profit, they need to make sure (and prove) that these products comply with all the relevant standards. The relevant mobile phone standards prescribe that mobile phones connect to (multiple) base stations in order to let base stations determine which one is going to take up the communications. If you are seeking a mobile phone that connects to a single base station (at a time) then you are in fact talking about a non-compliant phone that is not allowed to be sold. All this is taken care of low-level software beyond the control of a mere user facing OS, be it Android, iOS or GrapheneOS.

One cannot have a wonderful mobile phone network if not all elements play their compliant part.
You cannot join the network if you come with a crippled, non-compliant device.

other8026

Rizzler I think they were just joking. Either way, agreed there's no reason why people can't continue the discussion.

AlphaElwedritsch

Rizzler Relaxation. No reason for aggression. :) ;)

Onlyfun

wonder75 think it's impossible for the OS to control the way it operates in detail.

should the flight mode not be that control?

Nuttso

Stephan-P there is no such standard. Your modem could connect to only specific base stations if you want

fph

Ultimately, it's physics: unless you have a directional antenna pointed at one tower, your phone emits electromagnetic radiation in all directions; all towers can pick up those signals.

Rizzler

fph You'd need at least as much transmission power as a tower for this to be true.

Nuttso

5g can work with one cell tower only, ofc. I'm the first to advocate for an advance menu so we could control more of what the BB does. But there is a point in which it becomes impractical

fph

Rizzler fph You'd need at least as much transmission power as a tower for this to be true.

I might be thick, but I don't understand what you mean with this. Your phone does transmit EM waves in every possible direction, and they are already strong enough to reach the closest towers.

Rizzler

fph I find this hard to comprehend. The device receives the cell tower's signal which needs god know how many KW/h of power to operate. I don't think the phone broadcasts a signal in all directions but I might be wrong.

Nuttso

Rizzler the RF signal is broadcasted in all directions

DeletedUser87

Rizzler of course it broadcasts in all directions, just like most other wireless technologies. Imagine having no signal when you turn your phone around...