Azurepcs network and plans

AzurePCS is a community-driven private mobile network built around small, locally deployed cellular base stations called femtocells. Our aim is to enable individuals and communities to deploy local AzurePCS coverage, legally and independently, using shared access licensed spectrum. 

Our femtocells operate on LTE Band 40 (2300 MHz) using UK Shared Access Licences. Each femtocell provides local LTE coverage inside your property and connects back to the AzurePCS core network over your existing broadband connection.

We will be offering Baicells femtocells configured for:

• 10 MHz LTE bandwidth.
• 20 MHz LTE bandwidth.
   

These femtocells are intended for indoor use, providing local coverage without interfering with national mobile networks.

To operate a femtocell, you must hold your own Shared Access Licence from Ofcom. AzurePCS does not provide licences on your behalf.

Current Ofcom pricing:

• 10 MHz licence – £80 per year.
• 20 MHz licence – £160 per year.
   

Most people will qualify for an indoor-only LTE Band 40 licence, which is sufficient for homes, flats, workshops, and small community sites. Some locations near Ministry of Defence facilities may have additional restrictions. This is because the Ministry of Defence are the incumbent users of the 2300 MHz band, as defined by Ofcom. 

 We recommend selecting your licence based on your broadband speed:

• Broadband ≤ 50 Mbps → 10 MHz licence.
• Broadband ≥ 100 Mbps → 20 MHz licence.
   

This ensures the femtocell does not exceed what your backhaul connection can realistically support.

 At present, the AzurePCS core network supports:

• Mobile data.
• Internal SMS (text messages between AzurePCS users).
   

Most devices work well, including iPhones and Samsung phones.

Some stock Android devices can be inconsistent when sending SMS, although receiving SMS is usually fine. This is a known limitation of the current setup and varies by handset and messaging app. If you install a 3rd party SMS app from google play, it'll work fine. 

 We are actively building and testing a 2G core network, with the goal of introducing combined 2G + 4G femtocells in the future.

This will allow:
 

• CS fallback (CSFB) for internal calls.
• Improved compatibility with older and simpler handsets.

• There is currently no usage cost to be part of AzurePCS.
• Femtocells will be sold as one-off hardware purchases (coming soon).
   

In the future, we may introduce an optional membership tier:

• £2 per month (voluntary).
• Helps cover core network hosting and operational costs.
• No loss of service for non-members.
   

AzurePCS is intended to remain open, community-focused, and non-commercial at its core.

 Baicells femtocells should theoretically work over any Ethernet-based broadband connection. However, we have observed issues on some Vodafone connections.

We believe this is due to Vodafone’s parental or network-level restrictions, which block:

• UDP port 500
• UDP port 4500
   

These ports are required for the IPsec tunnel used by the femtocells to securely connect back to the AzurePCS core. If these ports are blocked, the femtocell cannot establish a connection.

• Help run a mini local mobile network.
• Use licensed UK spectrum.
• Deploy real LTE infrastructure at home or in the community.
• Be part of an evolving, experimental, resilience-focused network.
   

More details, hardware availability, and setup guides will be published soon.

 AzurePCS is an experimental, community-driven private mobile network. It is not a public mobile network operator and does not currently have interconnect agreements with UK or international telecom providers.

As a result:

• External phone calls are not supported.
• External SMS / MMS are not supported.
• Emergency calls (e.g. 999 / 112) are NOT available.
• Messages only work internally within the AzurePCS network, where supported. When available, calls will also be internal only.
   

Because we do not have carrier interconnect or emergency routing, AzurePCS must never be relied upon for emergency communications.

AzurePCS is not intended to replace your main mobile network at this stage.

The project is still:

• Actively being built.
• Actively tested.
• Experimenting with different technologies (LTE, 2G, CS fallback, device compatibility, etc.)
   

Features may change, be limited, or temporarily unavailable while development and testing continues.

You should always:

• Maintain an active SIM on a public UK mobile network.
• Use that network for emergency calls and essential communications.

 By using AzurePCS, you acknowledge that:

• The network is experimental.
• Service continuity is not guaranteed.
• Device compatibility may vary.
• Features may be added, changed, or removed without notice.
   

AzurePCS is designed for learning, experimentation, local coverage, and community projects, not as a fully featured commercial mobile service.