oFono

oFono
Name	oFono
Title	oFono
Developer	Intel Corporation, Nokia, The Linux Foundation
Released	2009
Operating system	Linux, Android, MeeGo, Tizen
License	GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1

oFono

oFono is a free and open-source telephony stack for mobile telephony and modem management originally developed by Intel and Nokia for MeeGo and later hosted by The Linux Foundation. It provides a D-Bus based API for radio and network control, supporting GSM, UMTS, LTE and packet data, and is used by several projects and vendors in embedded and mobile environments like Tizen, Android, Maemo derivatives and automotive telematics platforms. The project emphasizes modularity, standards-compliance, and integration with modem firmware and radio interface layers such as AT command set and QMI.

History

oFono was initiated in 2009 as a collaboration between Intel and Nokia to supply telephony services for the MeeGo project following Nokia's transition from Maemo to MeeGo. Development occurred alongside efforts like Moblin and contributions from companies involved in mobile ecosystems including Samsung Electronics, Vodafone, and Nokia. After MeeGo's decline and Nokia's strategic shifts, stewardship moved to broader open-source governance with involvement from The Linux Foundation, attracting contributors from projects such as Tizen and vendors like Intel and Qualcomm. Over time oFono integrated support for technologies standardized by bodies such as the 3GPP and worked to interoperate with protocol stacks used by major modem manufacturers including Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Sierra Wireless.

Architecture and Design

oFono implements a modular telephony architecture centered on a D-Bus service model similar to interfaces in NetworkManager-style desktop subsystems and tablet/phone stacks used by MeeGo and Tizen. Core components include a modem manager, voice call manager, SMS subsystem, and data bearer management, designed to interact with kernel drivers such as Linux kernel serial and USB serial drivers and with modem protocols like AT command set and QMI. The design emphasizes separation between hardware abstraction layers and higher-level user agents used by environments including GNOME, KDE, and automotive platforms like GENIVI. Configuration and policy integration permit interaction with system services such as systemd and session frameworks used by BlueZ-based telephony and handsfree profiles.

Features and Functionality

oFono supports voice call setup and teardown, SMS handling, SIM card management including SIM Toolkit operations, and packet data context management for GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and LTE technologies standardized by 3GPP. It exposes capabilities for network registration, signal strength monitoring, and operator selection, and implements hands-free and audio routing hooks to integrate with frameworks such as PulseAudio and automotive audio stacks used by suppliers like Continental AG and Bosch. The stack also provides modem firmware update coordination used by device makers including Sony Mobile and LG Electronics, and implements power management strategies for baseband control in platforms like Intel Atom-based reference designs.

Supported Platforms and Device Integration

oFono runs on a variety of Linux-based platforms and has been integrated into distributions and platforms including Tizen, Sailfish, and custom embedded Linux distributions used by automotive suppliers and OEMs such as Nokia-origin devices and modem-equipped Raspberry Pi-class single-board computers. Integration with mobile stacks has been demonstrated in projects pairing oFono with user-space components from NetworkManager, ConnMan, and desktop environments like GNOME and KDE Plasma Mobile. Support for cellular modems from vendors including Qualcomm, Intel, Sierra Wireless, and MediaTek is implemented via device-specific backends and protocol adaptors.

Development and Governance

The project source is hosted and maintained with contributions from individuals and corporations coordinated under open-source governance practices common to The Linux Foundation projects. Development follows version control workflows with code review and continuous integration processes similar to those used by projects like systemd, BlueZ, and NetworkManager. Licensing under the GNU Lesser General Public License permits both community and commercial integration by vendors such as Samsung Electronics and Intel Corporation. Project steering and maintenance have historically involved stakeholders from mobile platform vendors, telecommunications operators like Vodafone Group and Deutsche Telekom, and embedded systems integrators.

Adoption and Use Cases

oFono has been adopted in handset and embedded contexts, including reference implementations for Tizen smartphones, telematics units in automotive projects supported by GENIVI Alliance, and industrial IoT gateways using cellular connectivity from suppliers like Sierra Wireless and Telit Communications. Use cases span from consumer mobile devices in platforms such as Tizen and Sailfish to in-vehicle infotainment systems developed by companies like Continental AG and Harman International, as well as data-only gateways for M2M and IoT deployments by operators including Orange S.A. and AT&T. Its modular API has enabled OEMs and integrators including LG Electronics, Sony Mobile, and Samsung Electronics to implement customized telephony services and integrate carrier features provisioned by operators such as T-Mobile US and Vodafone.

Category:Free telephony software