To deal with this privacy trade-off, a New York-based programmer named Denver Gingerich has worked hard to develop an open source cellular network named Sopranica. This DIY network lets one make phone calls, communicate via texts, and browser the web. All this with total privacy and anonymity.
According to a report by Motherboard, Gingerich published the open source code of Sopranica’s first phase named JMP in January. JMP is basically a way to use XMPP to communicate over an anonymous phone number. You can think of JMP as using a free VOIP number with Google Voice and using that for registering with Signal.
Following JMP, the next phase of Sopranica will be WOM. It will create the physical infrastructure for the cell network. This will also involve a community radio network that will encompass people hosting cheap, small radio devices to provide access points to the users in a particular area.
To use Sopranica on your own smartphone, you need to install a Jabber app on the device and install a Session Initiation app. You can find the detailed instructions on JMP’s website.
You can read more about Sopranica in this interview with Denver Gingerich published on Motherboard.
