Why 'femtocells versus Wi-Fi' does not make sense

6 February 2008 News

One of the major talking points at recent femtocell conferences has been the question of which technology will take precedence for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) in the home: femtocells or voice-over-Wi-Fi. ABI Research suggests that this is an outdated view of the market and that a mindset embracing both femtocells and Wi-Fi would provide the ideal solution to support a fuller FMC concept.

Research director Stuart Carlaw, says, "The current focus of the femtocell industry is on supporting FMS (fixed mobile substitution) applications. However, in order to reach the hoped-for 36 million unit shipments per annum, the industry must take a wider view of FMC that embraces multimedia, place-shifting content and a multitude of innovative solutions including home automation and remote monitoring."

Although ABI Research expects the majority of initial femtocell shipments to be standalone products, Carlaw contends that a solution which includes Wi-Fi will be best suited to providing a full array of consumer-friendly services. The absence of Wi-Fi would leave a sizeable hole in the package.

Carlaw goes on to add that, "The home remains the last uncharted battlefield for service providers and OEMs. Any failure to embrace as soon as possible a fuller product specification for femtocells that includes Wi-Fi fails to fully integrate the multitude of Wi-Fi-enabled devices that are currently in a home LAN, and therefore cheapens the value proposition that femtocells can bring to an FMC-attuned carrier. A service plan that includes both Wi-Fi and femtocells spans the full spectrum of mobile and home LAN applications."

Perhaps femtocells are the last big chance for wireless carriers to make their marks as serious players in the home. Failure to fully embrace the femtocell concept could lead to their marginalisation as isolated bit pipe providers.

For more information visit www.abiresearch.com

Further reading:

SACEEC celebrates standout industrial innovation on the KITE 2025 show floor
News
Exhibitor innovation took the spotlight at the KITE 2025 as the South African Capital Equipment Export Council announced the winners of its prestigious New Product & Innovation Awards.

Read more...

---

SA team for International Olympiad in Informatics
News
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa has named the team that will represent South Africa at this year’s International Olympiad in Informatics.

Read more...

---

Anritsu and Bluetest to support OTA measurement
News
Anritsu Company and Sweden-based Bluetest AB have jointly developed an Over-The-Air measurement solution to evaluate the performance of 5G IoT devices compliant with the RedCap specification.

Read more...

---

The current sentiment of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain
News
In its latest report, the Global Electronics Association provides an analysis of the current sentiment and conditions in the global electronics manufacturing supply chain as of June 2025.

Read more...

---

Global semiconductor sales increase in May
News
The Semiconductor Industry Association recently announced global semiconductor sales were $59,0 billion during the month of May 2025, an increase of 19,8%.

Read more...

---

New president for Avnet EMEA
News
Avnet has announced that Avnet Silica’s president, Gilles Beltran, will step into the role of president of Avnet EMEA.

Read more...

---

DARPA sets new record for wireless power beaming
News
In tests performed in New Mexico, the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay program team recorded over 800 W of power delivered for about 30 seconds with a laser beam crossing 8,6 kilometres.

Read more...

---

Nordic Semiconductor acquires Memfault
RF Design News
With this acquisition, Nordic has launched its first complete chip-to-cloud platform for lifecycle management of connected products.

Read more...

---

Trina storage demonstrates high efficiency and long-term reliability
News
Independent testing confirms 95,2% DC efficiency and 98% capacity retention after one year of operation.

Read more...

---

From the editor's desk: AI – a double-edged sword
Technews Publishing News
As with any powerful tool, AI presents challenges, some of which, if not carefully managed, threaten to undo the potential that it can offer.

Read more...

---