Phone Without Phone

Purpose

Find a way to get mobile phone functions without a physical phone, or at least without a SIM card or using traditional (abusive) means. The vision is to separate the phone from the wireless services. One might use available WiFi services or a personal hotspot to connect. This creates an additional firewall to protect data and adds flexibility for the type of device that can be used, including the use of a Linux / open source devices.

Expected Benefits:

• Firewall between one's apps and data and the data service provider (ISP or wireless company).
• Can actually shut off one's mobile hotspot and eliminate wireless phone company tracking.
• ALL services, including phone and text could be run through a VPN, for further privacy from the phone company.
• Phone services with a fixed phone number can be provided anywhere in the world.
• One can use a REAL KEYBOARD instead of a crappy touchscreen.

XMPP

https://getstream.io/blog/xmpp-extensible-messaging-presence-protocol/ "Created in 1998 as the framework behind Jabber..."

• Uses an exchange of XML data, using a server as an intermediary.
• Can provide "presence" information (user is present/away, etc.)
• Uses TCP
• Can use TLS encryption
• Asynchronous push approach (rather than pull)
• Hosting can be decentralized -- users can set up their own servers
• Can function cross-protocols, including SMS, email, IRC

https://xmpp.org/software/?platform=linux lists a number of software clients, servers, libraries, etc. The list can be filtered by platform.

JMP

Website: https://jmp.chat/

Video interview on https://takebackourtech.org/xmpp-jmp/ actually hosted on Odyssee: https://odysee.com/@takebackourtech:f/xmpp-jmp:8?r=DZ4EWxZ7Qm3HPnNU3rnFQF4vmCxaxuye

• Presented by Take Back Our Tech (TBOT), creators of BeyondPhone, which includes a free trial of JMP. (BeyondPhone seems to have disappeared, but TBOT continues.
  • Ramiro Romani, TBOT Founder
  • Denver Gingerich "OSS Guy", started JMP in 2017
  • Stephen Paul Weber, lead dev on JMP
• Allows XMPP users to communicate with phone users transparently & somewhat anonymously.
• Stephen had been using XMPP for 17 years...really wanted to send text from XMPP, met Denver...
• Denver decided to start a county
• They can use multiple clients (I think their service is mostly providing the gateway / telephone numbers)
• Snikket is their top app for Android & iOS.
  • Compatible with Conversations
  • Can host your own network
  • Includes text, secure audio & video calls
  • App available on Google Play, Apple App Store, and F-Droid
• Jabber network gets a lot of credit for starting the whole thing
• (Ramiro brings up DPCP DPCT?? server for BTC, LTC, Monero, etc... would be good to know more about that.)
• Cheogram is a big chunk of their infrastructure, source code here: https://soprani.ca/
• Ramiro does a nice howto at the end of the video (link takes you to the appropriate timestamp): https://odysee.com/@takebackourtech:f/xmpp-jmp:8?r=DZ4EWxZ7Qm3HPnNU3rnFQF4vmCxaxuye&t=2614