ip.access brings femtocell technology to smaller offices and shops

CAMBRIDGE, UK: Pioneering femtocell and picocell manufacturer, ip.access, announced a new addition to its nano3G range of Access Points, which provide in-building 3G coverage and capacity using the latest femto technology.

The new S class femtocell is designed for use in smaller offices and shops and can support up to eight simultaneous users. Easy to install and set up, the S class femtocell is based on the award-winning ip.access technology at the heart of AT&T’s 3G MicroCell – one of the world’s largest femtocell deployments.

Unlike residential femtocell units, however, the S class femtocells can be configured for open access, two-way handover with the macro network and real-time alarms, making them ideal for targeted deployment in high traffic or high value locations such as busy retail stores and offices.

Announcing the innovation, ip.access SVP of Product Management & Marketing Dr Andy Tiller said: “Indoor call, text and data traffic continues to rise and operators need to find cost effective solutions to boost both coverage and capacity on their networks.

“Home femtocells are fast becoming an integral part of operators’ network strategies, but some of the heaviest data usage occurs within offices and public indoor locations. Now, with our S class and E class nano3G products we can provide easy, open access, solutions that both improve the service for end users and ease network congestion for the mobile network operator.”

Both the S class and E class units are provided by ip.access as part of the nano3G end-to-end RAN solution for operators. The standalone S class unit can be easily installed by the end customer as it simply requires a power supply and an Internet connection. The new S class product is already in operator trials.

The more powerful, rugged E class unit is normally wall or ceiling mounted, or could even be installed in a roof void. This installation is typically undertaken by the operator.

“The beauty of these products is that they can be targeted at high traffic sites by operators and require very little investment to give a significant improvement in network performance,” added Tiller. “Everyone wins - in-building users, operators and the other customers of the network nearby.”