LTE 4GEE

LTE 4GEE

As Orange/T-Mobile has launched Everything Everywhere (EE) 4G/LTE ahead of the other major UK MNO players I took a web-stroll over to their website to look at their coverage checker.

https://explore.ee.co.uk/coverage-checker

Improving the coverage checker maps
I made several post code area searches to familiarise myself how coverage is presented. It isn't up to much at this stage. Too much vague generality, whereas customers, I think, would much prefer to see a single cell coverage map for each BTS/NodeB/eNode (or Mast, so to speak) identifying signal strength (defined by colours) coverage every 100-metres (small cell) or 500-metres (macro-cell) or in the alternative coverage including coloured signal strength upto the equal power boundary.   

Skyfall, MI5 and MI6
During my search I looked at various locations and, as I have recently been to see the latest Bond 007 Film, 'Skyfall' ('excellent' is my rating), I wondered what MI5 and MI6 coverage would be like? A quick web search for the addresses and enter post code to EE's website and here is coverage to MI5 HQ:

Naturally, they get excellent coverage.

NFC Phone Hacking

"...presentation included a demonstration of the use of a malicious NFC device which, simply when placed close enough to a user's phone, resulted in a complete compromise of the phone, or what security people call "remote code execution."
http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/wireless/240004386?

Extra links about NFC and enabled devices, which add more emphasis about the possibility of an NFC attack:

Near Field Communications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication

Windows Mobile 8 going NFC
http://nfctimes.com/news/microsoft-signals-support-telcos-its-nfc-enabled-mobile-wallet-windows-phone-8

Orange UK went NFC in 2011
http://nfctimes.com/sites/default/files/orange-factbox-june-12-3.jpg

France Telecom - Orange mobiles that are NFC enabled
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cityzi.fr%2Fles-mobiles-cityzi&act=url

GSMA - Mobile NFC
According to the GSMA, "Mobile Network Operators(MNO) across the world are now rolling out NFC-based services, fuelling the next wave of mobile innovation. Commercial services are live in France, Japan, South Korea, Tanzania, Turkey and the UK."
 http://www.gsma.com/mobilenfc/

Evolving Cell Site Analysis (CSA)

Evolving Cell Site Analysis (CSA)

In 23 years of dealing with a range of cellular radio systems TACS, GSM and WCDMA and, lately, a little of LTE, in addition to NFC work, generates a measured confidence in dealing with change when it occurs.

The word 'Re-farming' of 900 MHz , largely a play word, the core of which is based upon re-allocation of spectrum from one technology and service to another (eg GSM TDMA to 3G WCDMA), and local inter-operator roaming (Orange and T-Mobile) are two such changes to which CSA is exposed. These changes are, though, nothing more than evolution in a innovation driven and commercially challenging market place. Knowledge doesn't simply disappear overnight because these changes have occurred.

Operator and spectrum imposed changes appear to have generated perhaps understandable concerns, but the premise of these concerns might actually be based upon misconceptions about how those changes impact on cell site analysis. Concerns, such as, a no-can do approach; a patch fix is needed; the notion that is all you are going to get; to a loss of evidence with the introduction of changes, are a variety I have heard. The introduction of Everything Everywhere is another good example in point. Many of the constraints currently being purveyed in the marketplace would require ignoring a considerable body of information.

Photo courtesy of www.dailymail.co.uk article-0-001097AB00000258-251_468x315.jpg

Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring!! Simply running out with a piece of test equipment and having a few shots at a target, chatting with several people or referring to comments on the web really isn't appropriate qualification for the matter under scrutiny when one is not fully certain of (figuratively speaking) the enemy.

Cell site analysis doesn't suffer from evidential menigitis just because changes take place, as there are a huge range of factors and information that need to be considered first when making a diagnosis of the matter in order to determine a prognosis.

UK Roaming Orange and T-Mobile

UK Roaming Orange and T-Mobile

I got a text message today (08/10/10) from Orange informing me "Now you can pick up a signal from both the Orange and T-Mobile networks....."Further information about this is available at the weblink below:

https://kareena.orange.co.uk/share/

Call and text in even more places

Now you can pick up a signal from both the Orange and T-Mobile networks in the UK which means that you can call and text in even more places.

• Your phone will use T-Mobile signal if it doesn't pick up an Orange signal
• Your charges stay the same when you use T-Mobile signal
• Nothing else will change, you'll just get more network coverage

There will be an impact on investigation and evidence. I have raised some additional observations in the discusssion " CSA and seamless roaming" at:

http://cellsiteanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/11/csa-and-seamless-roaming.html

CSA and seamless roaming

CSA and seamless roaming

UK seamless roaming on the H3G to O2 and H3G to Orange always added further dimensions needing to be investigated when conducting cell site analysis (CSA). However, with Orange's announcement today (08/10/10), sent by text message to its customers, will mean extending seamless roaming investigations now to Orange and T-Mobile too.

https://kareena.orange.co.uk/share/

Call and text in even more places

Now you can pick up a signal from both the Orange and T-Mobile networks in the UK which means that you can call and text in even more places.

• Your phone will use T-Mobile signal if it doesn't pick up an Orange signal
• Your charges stay the same when you use T-Mobile signal
• Nothing else will change, you'll just get more network coverage

This provides further corroboration that simplifying investigations and not spending the appropriate time conducting radio tests and cross-referencing to the appropriate network records can lead to erroneous findings and reported flawed opinions to the client and court.

Orange and Vodka - mixing mobile networks

Orange and Vodka - mixing mobile networks

(shaken, not stirred)

.

Good title for a book or article that heading. I thought this would be a useful post regarding the unusual occurrence of roaming onto a forbidden UK network from the home UK network.These screenshots record an event that happened on my wireless broadband. In the area I was located at the time Orange provided GPRS at 56K but download rates of under 6.5kbps (no 3G) - so not very good at all.
.

.
Such a matter like this may have an influence, if understood that it may occur, on any post-obtained radio test measurements after an alleged crime, or may even taint what may be considered a flawless opinion or conclusion, that is when conducting cell site analysis (CSA) investigations for evidential purposes.

.

.
It is not the fact that post-obtained radio test measurements failed to replicate an earlier event, it is the fact that a 'possibility' that may need to be explored to provide a more rounded opinion or conclusion in a report and at Court maybe missed or overlooked.
.
There are answers to the above conundrum but this is not the point of this post, which has been to highlight a technical event that might impact on evidence.

Orange and Vodka - mixing mobile networks

Orange and Vodka - mixing mobile networks

(shaken, not stirred)

.

Good title for a book or article that heading. I thought this would be a useful post regarding the unusual occurrence of roaming onto a forbidden UK network from the home UK network.These screenshots record an event that happened on my wireless broadband. In the area I was located at the time Orange provided GPRS at 56K but download rates of under 6.5kbps (no 3G) - so not very good at all.
.

.
Such a matter like this may have an influence, if understood that it may occur, on any post-obtained radio test measurements after an alleged crime, or may even taint what may be considered a flawless opinion or conclusion, that is when conducting cell site analysis (CSA) investigations for evidential purposes.

.

.
It is not the fact that post-obtained radio test measurements failed to replicate an earlier event, it is the fact that a 'possibility' that may need to be explored to provide a more rounded opinion or conclusion in a report and at Court maybe missed or overlooked.
.
There are answers to the above conundrum but this is not the point of this post, which has been to highlight a technical event that might impact on evidence.

3G Dongle CSA sample measurements

3G Dongle CSA sample measurements

.

Since the UK MTEB Mobile Forensics Conference 2009 is being held in Dorking, a short drive from Box Hill Point (an area of outstanding natural beauty that is situated in the National Trust Park) I thought I would go out and conduct some 3G radio test measurements. I was interested to comprehend, given the terrain and forest area, the quality and type of coverage was like along the road from Box Hill Point. I viewed the operator coverage maps for this area and found that the operators offered fringe coverage in the area.

.

I recorded sample measurments for the Orange mobile network as their Mast in Dorking is approximately 3.5Km from Box Hill. The screen prints of the measurements are set out below. The sample measurements were taken over a 45-minutes period.

.

Image 1:

illustrates the route driven from Dorking to Box Hill (a) to (b) and

(b) was the approximate location point for tests.

.

Image 2:
illustrates the OFCOM basestation database details for the

Orange Mast (3G) at Dorking High Street dteected at Box Hill location (b)
.

Image 3:
illustrates the terrain path from Dorking to Box Hill (a) to (b) and
(b) was the approximate location point for tests. Box Hill is 687-metres above sea level
. Image 4:
illustrates the mobile network operator, signal strength (RSSI), registration to
Circuit Switched (CS) and/or Packet Switched (PS) and which registration is
attached. Note from all the images below the variations in RSSI, the registrations
and to the network attachments
.
Image 5
.

Image 6

.

Image 7
.

Image 8

.

Image 9
.

Image 10
.

Image 11

.

Image 12
.

Image 13

.

Image 14
.

Image 15

.

Image 16
.

More on Cell Site Analysis: http://cellsiteanalysis.blogspot.com