MediaTek (a major Taiwanese semiconductor company) has engineering labs where they test GSM/GPRS/EDGE (2G) functionality on their baseband chips (e.g., MT6261, MT2503, etc.).
Setting up your lab requires specific drivers and the tool itself: Download Drivers : Install the Stock MTK Port mtk gsm lab
In the mid-2000s, forums like GSMHosting and Chinese BBS boards became the virtual "Lab." Independent developers figured out how to dump the firmware (read/write the flash memory). They created tools like (a famous flashing box) and Infinity Box . mtk gsm lab