From: Andrew Meredith <meredith@ecid.cig.mot.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 18:40:51 +0800
To: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>
Subject: Re: Guerilla Internet Service Providers (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <m0tXWnU-00090EC@pacifier.com>
Message-ID: <30EBA97C.41C67EA6@ecid.cig.mot.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


jim bell wrote:

> And as you pointed out, this is especially important if RF is the
> medium-of-choice for connections.  We should definitely make a
> serious amount of contact with people working on the PCS standards
> to ensure that GOOD encryption is included.

If by PCS you mean the GSM derived 2GHz system, then I believe that they
use the A5 algorithm, the same as GSM. Unless they are using one of
deliberately crippled versions, then I think you'll find that this is
quite tough stuff.

Seeing as the rest of the planet seems to have gone with GSM 900, it's a
shame you guys didn't do likewise, you'd have had proper international
roaming and decent airlink encryption for years by now ;)

As a semi-aside, I'm not sure if anyone here has mentioned it yet, but
the DCS 1800 (another GSM variant) based "Orange" UK cellphone operator,
recently announced that they have linked their MSC direct with the Demon
ISP (biggest UK ISP), so that you can now get a 9600 baud encrypted pure
digital Internet link. It's not exactly as cheap as a local call, and
9600 baud isn't exactly flying, but ...

Andy M

PS Ok then, maybe I _am_ biased towards GSM, see .sig ;)

-- 
Andrew Meredith
Senior Systems Engineer            Tel: (direct) +44(0) 1793 545377
Network Engineering Tools Group    Tel: (main)   +44(0) 1793 541541
Motorola, GSM Products Division    Fax:          +44(0) 1793 512618
16, Euroway, Blagrove   SMTP:             meredith@ecid.cig.mot.com
Swindon, SN5 8YQ, UK    X400: Andrew_Meredith-QSWI016@email.mot.com