This story of the Mexican cartel communication networks represents more than just a technological achievement – it demonstrates the extraordinary lengths to which criminal organizations will go to maintain operational security (OPSEC). As these networks continue to evolve, they pose significant challenges for law enforcement and telecommunications policy.
With the advent of Software Defined Radio (SDR) and open-source cellular software such as OpenBTS and srsRAN, we will likely see a proliferation of private cellular networks by organizations seeking to guarantee their privacy.