# Opencellid [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🗺️ Location Services  
**Repository:** https://github.com/pipeworx-io/mcp-opencellid  
**GitHub Stars:** 0  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 453  
**Views:** 2  
**Installs:** 0  
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**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/opencellid

## Description
OpenCellID MCP — cell tower geolocation database (free with key)

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **get_cell** — Geolocate a cell tower by mobile network identifiers. MCC = Mobile Country Code, MNC = Mobile Network Code, LAC = Location Area Code, cell_id = Cell ID. Returns lat/lon, range, samples, radio type (GSM/UMTS/LTE).
- **cells_in_area** — List cell towers inside a bounding box. Bounding box format: "lat_sw,lon_sw,lat_ne,lon_ne". OpenCellID caps results per call — narrow the bbox if you need detail.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "opencellid": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","@pipeworx/mcp-opencellid"],
    "env": {
      "PLATFORM_OPENCELLID_KEY": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `PLATFORM_OPENCELLID_KEY` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What the Opencellid MCP server does

The Opencellid MCP server gives MCP-compatible agents access to OpenCellID cell-tower data. Its pack-specific interface supports looking up a tower from mobile-network identifiers and finding towers inside a geographic bounding box. The underlying data source is OpenCellID at opencellid.org.

This is useful for workflows that have cellular network information such as MCC, MNC, LAC, and cell ID and need corresponding tower data. Area searches can accept optional network filters and a result limit, allowing an agent to narrow results by operator identifiers or control response size.

## How it works

The package is available in two deployment modes. A remote MCP endpoint is hosted at the Pipeworx gateway, while the npm package can run locally and communicate over standard input and output. The local mode exposes only the OpenCellID pack tools. The gateway endpoint exposes those tools plus shared Pipeworx capabilities, including tool discovery, cross-catalog routing through `ask_pipeworx`, and memory-related tools.

The gateway also provides an HTTP interface for direct tool calls. For example, a client can send a JSON POST request to the `get_cell` tool endpoint instead of maintaining an MCP connection. The full Pipeworx gateway is another option when an agent needs all catalog packs listed directly; both gateway URLs use the same underlying gateway and data sources.

## Setup and configuration

For a remote connection, add the gateway URL `https://gateway.pipeworx.io/opencellid/mcp` to an MCP client's server configuration. The README names Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf as compatible clients. A full-gateway connection uses `https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp` instead.

For local execution, configure the client to run `npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-opencellid`. This starts the standalone stdio server without a Pipeworx account or gateway round trip. The package can also be launched directly with the same command to verify that it starts.

Gateway authentication uses the `PLATFORM_OPENCELLID_KEY` environment setting. Alternatively, callers can register with OpenCellID and provide a key using the `?_apiKey=<key>` form described by the project. The remote gateway and direct HTTP examples use the OpenCellID source's key-based access.

## Tools and capabilities

The pack defines two primary tools:

- `get_cell(mcc, mnc, lac, cell_id, radio?)` looks up a cell using mobile-country, network, location-area, and cell identifiers, with an optional radio value.
- `cells_in_area(bbox, mcc?, mnc?, limit?)` searches for cells within a bounding box, with optional MCC, MNC, and result-limit filters.

The Opencellid MCP server can also be used through `ask_pipeworx` on gateway connections. An agent submits a natural-language question, and the gateway selects a tool and fills its arguments. Gateway connections list additional shared tools, so their tool count is larger than the two pack-specific operations.

## Limitations and notes

The local server does not include Pipeworx shared meta-tools or cross-catalog routing. Gateway connections do include those tools, and the exact scope is reported by the MCP `initialize` response. The standalone package and gateway therefore differ in their listed tool sets even though they use the same pack tools and source.

An API key is part of the documented access setup. Clients should inspect the tool definitions and OpenCellID documentation before depending on those details. OpenCellID access is described as free with a key, but no specific quota is provided.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/opencellid/readme_