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Tuesday, 03 July 2007 |
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ABI says miniature cell sites will save big backhaul bucks as Nokia Siemens Networks joins femtocell fray…
ABI Research, host of a femtocell workshop in
London
this week, reckons that backhaul savings that result from the deployment of the miniature in-building cell sites will clinch the business case for the technology. “At a time when carriers are generally enthusiastic but are struggling to get a working, comprehensive business plan in place, it is important to consider that no matter how attractive the service offerings a femtocell-based solution can bring, the sheer savings from backhaul and energy costs could equate to over US$70bn by 2012, outshining service revenues and providing enough financial incentive for carriers to actively support this solution,” opines ABI research director Stuart Carlaw.
The research house further notes the number of sizeable carrier femtocell RFPs currently in circulation, and calculates that by 2012 the market for femtocells looks set to represent 36mn shipments with an installed base of nearly 70mn femtocells serving over 150mn users.
New to the growing roster of vendors hoping for a slice of femtocell action is Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN). Today NSN launches what it claims is a novel approach to home access in the form of its ‘3G Femto Home Access’ solution with open interfaces and a new network element, the ‘Femto Gateway’.
The solution’s open standards are what NSN is playing up. “We are driving a network solution with standard and open interfaces to enable open innovation and variety of supply for the Femto customer premises equipment,” asserts Ari Lehtoranta, head of Radio Access, Nokia Siemens Networks. The company also points out that the ‘Femto Gateway’ does not require changes in the operators’ existing core network, as it connects to the core network over a standard interface.
Trials of the ‘3G Femto Home Access’ product will start at the beginning of 2008, and commercial deployments are planned for the third quarter of 2008.
John Williamson |
