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Created on 07.10
How IMSI Catchers Work — The Technology Behind Long Wave Wireless Systems
SDR Architecture, Non-Polling Multi-Carrier Design, RSRP Precision Positioning, and 5G NR Support Explained
What Is an IMSI Catcher?
An IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) catcher — also known as a cell site simulator, false base station, or StingRay — is a device that mimics a legitimate cellular tower, compelling nearby mobile devices to connect to it. Once connected, the device can extract the device's IMSI/IMEI identifiers and, in advanced systems, determine the device's precise location.
Long Wave's Core Technology Stack
- Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Platform
All Long Wave products are built on a self-developed SDR platform, enabling:
- Flexible frequency band configuration across 2G/3G/4G/5G
- Software-upgradable protocol stacks (no hardware changes needed for band additions)
- Real-time signal processing and analysis
- Remote configuration and firmware updates
- Non-Polling Multi-Carrier Architecture
Unlike many competing systems that use round-robin polling (sequentially scanning carriers, causing blind spots), Long Wave's architecture supports true concurrent carrier operation:
- RW-IMSI-V01: 24 carriers simultaneously
- Portable/Drone units: 14 carriers simultaneously
- This means all frequency bands are monitored in real time with no gaps
- RSRP Precision Positioning
Long Wave's proprietary positioning algorithm uses RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) measurements from built-in high-gain directional antennas to achieve:
- <0.5 meter accuracy on vehicle and backpack units (industry average: 2-5 meters)
- 11dBi directional antenna with 35-degree beam width on the RW-IMSI-P03
- Cross-floor detection capability up to 15 floors
- Report value efficiency: >=98%
- 5G NR Full Support
All Long Wave products support 5G NR in both SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone) modes across these bands:
N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N8, N20, N26, N28, N38, N40, N41, N66, N77, N78, N79
This is significant because many competing IMSI catcher products — including legacy Western systems — only support up to 4G LTE.
- GPS + BeiDou Dual Synchronization
Long Wave is one of the few IMSI catcher manufacturers to support both GPS and BeiDou satellite synchronization, critical for operations in regions where one system may be unavailable.
- Active Interception with A5 Decryption
The RW-IMSI-P02 actively intercepts voice calls and SMS messages, supporting real-time decryption of:
- A5/1 (commonly used in 2G GSM)
- A5/2 (weaker export-grade encryption)
- A5/3 (stronger cipher, used in 3G/4G)
Comparison with Competing Technologies
Feature | Long Wave V01 | Octasic Nyxcell V800 | L3Harris StingRay |
Concurrent Carriers | 24 | ~16 | ~12 |
5G Support | Full SA+NSA | Limited | Legacy 4G |
Positioning Accuracy | <0.5m | 2-5m | 2-5m |
Satellite Sync | GPS+BeiDou | GPS only | GPS only |
Price (USD) | $190,000 | $528,000 | $148,000+ |
For technical whitepapers and detailed specifications, contact jafferwu@longwave-tech.com
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