Re: USA or Mexico alternative to OsmoDevCon?

Hi Harald, Yes, of course - sorry for not making this part clear in my original post. Practically speaking, if I am going to host the proposed ITHG (Inclusive Telecom Hacker Gathering), it would need to be scheduled to not conflict with OsmoDevCon, allowing all ODC attendees to also attend ITHG. (*Everyone* who attends ODC is also welcome to join ITHG, but obviously not vice-versa, given your current policies.) I would be willing to travel to Europe (anywhere other than Russia) *if* someone were to host a conference or gathering that (1) allows me to join despite my project being non-Osmocom PSS and (2) allows me to join despite me remaining the way Goddess made me, vaccine-free. However, if no one else steps up to host such an inclusive conference or gathering and if I am the only one able and willing to organize and host, then my part of the world (southwestern corner of USA or northwestern corner of Mexico) is the only geographical area where I can practically pull it off. OK, so let's throw around some potential dates for when I can host my proposed ITHG in Tijuana, Mexico. Here are two date range options I currently have in mind: Option 1: the second half of February or the first half of March 2022, before the abomination of DST kicks in. Option 2: some time in June 2022, two months after ODC. Is there anyone at all from this community who would be willing to travel to Tijuana in either of these proposed date ranges? Duration: I am thinking of a one day event, but if the people who come decide to stay longer, I should be able to extend to 2 or perhaps even 3 days - it all depends on the attendees and their level of interest. Location: I am thinking of renting a conference room at a hotel in Tijuana, perhaps at the same Hyatt where I stayed back in August for medical tourism. *If* everyone who is interested in attending can gain entry into USA without difficulty, then we can hold our ITHG on the USA side of the border instead - but I absolutely need to make the event accessible to vaccine-free people from other countries, and if you are in the latter category, then it is my understanding that gaining entry into Mexico would be much easier than gaining entry into USA - hence my leaning toward holding our ITHG in Tijuana. Another advantage of the Mexican side of the border over the USA side are the different policies of T-Mobile USA vs. Telcel Mexico regarding GSM/2G phone users. On the Mexican side of the border you can walk into any Telcel store and buy a prepaid SIM that has the classic GSM 11.11 SIM application still present, and operate it in any classic GSM phone. It even officially says "Compatible con GSM, 3G y 4G" on the paper package in which those Telcel prepaid SIMs are wrapped - official support for GSM/2G! Not so easy on the USA side of the border: T-Mobile still has their GSM network operational, but the SIMs they sell in their stores (prepaid or otherwise) are maliciously hobbled, with the classic GSM 11.11 SIM application removed. One can get an unhobbled SIM from a certain T-Mobile MVNO, but those are not as easily accessible to visiting tourists. If there is at least one person from Osmocom who would be willing to join my ITHG, then ITHG will be a proper inter-project gathering, with at least two projects represented: the putative person represending Osmocom and me representing FreeCalypso. Given that Osmocom is the 1000 pound gorilla in the room, the goliath compared to all other indie telecom projects out there, there will need to be at least one person from Osmocom agreeing to attend ITHG, in order for ITHG to have legitimacy. *If* we get that one person from Osmocom agreeing to join, *then* I will reach out to YateBTS community, inviting them to join as well - but we need at least one person from Osmocom to be on board first. M~