Femtocell Background

Contents

Femtocells: Why Now?

A number of factors are coming together to enable femtocell based solutions:

Working Principle

Femtocell Network Architecture

There are three network elements that are common to any femtocell network architecture. These are:

Two other elements that are in all femtocell network architectures are entities that enable connectivity to the mobile operator core. Depending on the specific architecture used for circuit switched calls, there can be either a Femtocell Convergence Server (FCS) or a Femtocell Network Gateway (FNG). For packet calls, depending on the airlink technology, there can be either a PDSN or xGSN (GGSN/SGSN) in the core. In most cases, the PDSN / xGSN are the same as those used for macro networks. Source

Features

Femtocells can enable new services because they have seven unique traits that set them apart from all the other devices in the home in terms of service delivery. They are:

When taken individually, each of the seven unique traits can potentially be achieved by other devices in the home. When thinking about each of these aspects in more detail, however, it becomes apparent that the femtocell can provide this functionality in a much more straightforward and natural manner than any other device in the home.


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