Building Community LTE Networks with CoLTE

In this chapter, we provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to build, deploy, and operate a small-scale community LTE network. This manual assumes a reader who is somewhat familiar with networking concepts (IP addresses, etc.) but is explicitly not a technical expert or knowledgeable about the cellular space. Given this background, this chapter (1) provides a brief overview of LTE architecture;(2) covers the need-to-know topics for a network operator (PLMN IMSIs, etc.);(3) provides suggestions for selecting and buying hardware (along with our personal experiences, when applicable);(4) discusses the variables around band selection and corresponding licensing concerns; and (5) provides stepby-step instructions for installing, configuring, and running our community LTE network-in-a-box project, which we call CoLTE. CoLTE provides an all-in-one LTE EPC stack, but also comes with a wide range of additional services, including a WebGUI, user monitoring and billing software, and many additional locally-hosted services, such as a media server.