4 - Femtocells

Posted on 10 Dec 2007 at 11:05

We've all been to a house where you have to stand with your head crammed up against the window to get even the merest bar of mobile reception. Femtocells will help overcome that problem by providing 3G mobile coverage in buildings that struggle to receive a decent signal from the local base station. They're essentially wireless access points that allow you to connect to your phone operator's network over your existing landline broadband connection. And before the tabloids start spreading scare stories about "home base stations" frying kids' brains, these are particularly low-powered devices: femtocells will cover only a medium-sized home. The wider-ranging picocells have been used in office environments for some time.

Femtocells look set to take off in 2008: Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange are all conducting field trials with a view to deployment over the coming year. Why? Because by giving customers rock-solid 3G coverage in the home, they're more likely to make and receive calls on their mobile, and mobile networks can start competing with the likes of BT, offering discount call packages to customers who choose their mobile instead of their landline. The femtocell also allows customers to take advantage of high-speed mobile data, without having to invest in expensive dual-mode Wi-Fi phones.

There are several technical hurdles to overcome - not least the complex handover between the femtocell and the regular base stations - but the days of "I'll have to call you back on the landline" could soon become a distant memory.

Next: 5 - Commercial P2P

Back to 'Ten techs to watch in 2008'

Author: Stewart Mitchell