While the LimeSDR-USB board delivers fantastic performance at a very low price point and is capable of supporting all manner of systems, it is the first step in the journey towards democratising wireless innovation. LimeNET is the next logical step in building on the powerful SDR platform to create complete hardware solutions that are Ubuntu Core-enabled and integrated with an app store populated with certified applications.

LimeSDR thereby enables new applications to be developed with minimal hardware outlay and, as the software ecosystem continues to grow, increasingly quickly through reuse and employing tools that facilitate rapid application development. Those very same applications may then subsequently be deployed securely and efficiently via the LimeNET app store to certified base station hardware.

The overall vision is one of a continuity delivered through hardware compatibility and API consistency, right from solutions that are accessible to individuals, maker communities, education/research, and SMEs, all the way up to carrier-class solutions suited to deployment by tier 1 operators. These opportunities are available to all stakeholders, regardless of their size.

Get your hack on!

On 1st through to 3rd September in London, UK, there will be a LimeSDR hackathon hosted by British Telecom (BT) and EE in partnership with Lime Micro, to develop compelling prototypes and demonstrations using the platform. This is being run as a competition and split into three categories:

1. Best implementation of an existing feature/solution
2. Best application of LimeSDR development kits to solve an existing problem (see scenario list)
3. Most imaginative and effective use of the programmable features of the LimeSDR

For category 2, the scenarios are:

• Disaster Recovery
• Remote Connectivity – “Last Mile” Innovation
• Indoor Enhancements
• Enterprise
• Entertainment
• Other

The competition will run throughout June, July, and August, giving you time to develop your entry, and culminating in a ‘hack weekend’ from 1st to 3rd September in London. If you are not based in the UK or cannot travel to London, we will enable remote participation.

The outcomes of the competition include:

• BT will write up the event in a white paper, describing how software-definable radio can impact future network and proposition development for mobile operators. This will include examples from notable entrants, as well as a write up of all finalists invited through to the final.
• BT will fast track one or more finalists in each category through the Facebook TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centre.
• Where appropriate, BT will introduce participants into the Scottish Innovation Programme.

To register for more information and details on how to enter, please visit the hackathon informational site.

There will be multiple entry deadlines, the first of which is on the 9th June 2017 for those who already have an application in mind.

We look forward to seeing you in September and can’t wait to see what you build!

Update 30 May 2017: You can find out more about the hackathon on the official site hosted by BT.

Andrew and the LimeNET Team