Femtocells

Transforming Mobile Broadband Communications

As more and more people use mobile phones as their primary communication device, demand for mobile voice and broadband capacity and coverage continues to increase rapidly. At the same time, mobile operators experiencing declining average revenue per user (ARPU) for voice services are seeking creative ways to improve their bottom line. Many operators are looking to the popularity of mobile broadband to increase data ARPU while reducing operating expenses.

HubBub CDMA

Airvana's end-to-end femtocell solution will change subscribers from counting bars to counting minutes of clear conversation.

Learn More

HubBub UMTS

Airvana's end-to-end femtocell solution will change subscribers from counting bars to counting minutes of clear conversation.

Learn More

But in-building coverage is still not comparable to outdoor coverage, and the broadband experience of hundreds mobile phones sharing macro cell sites can be less than satisfying. To improve the overall customer experience and increase customer revenue, mobile operators must improve in-building coverage while increasing broadband performance. These improvements will allow operators to offer reliable, high performance in-building services such as bundled triple-play and quad-play services. Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) has emerged as a solution to these problems. One of the most effective FMC solutions is delivery of mobile broadband services through a new class of small access points called femtocells. These table-top sized access points provide in-home wireless coverage and connect to mobile networks via broadband cable or DSL internet connections. Femtocells have the potential to transform mobile communications by offering new levels of service to consumers and new economic deployment models for operators.

Airvana’s HubBub femtocells help operators deliver new applications to home users, improve in-home coverage and capacity, while reducing operating costs.

Femtocell Benefits

Overall, femtocells have the potential to transform mobile communications by offering new economic and deployment models for operators and new levels of service to consumers.

Operator Benefits	Consumer Benefits
For mobile operators, femtocells will deliver:	For mobile consumers, femtocells will deliver:
Increased network capacity – As each new femtocell is added to the network and customers shift from macro cells to femtocells, operators will increase the overall network capacity, while they offload their macro cell network.	Increased indoor coverage– In most cases, femtocells will provide “five bars” of coverage throughout the household.
Reduced capital costs– Even as the number of subscribers increases, femtocells will mitigate the need for new macro cell equipment.	Improved broadband experience– Instead of macro cells supporting hundreds of users, femtocells will serve just a few simultaneous users. Femtocells will deliver higher data rates per user and a better overall broadband experience.
Reduced backhaul costs – The on-going operating cost of backhauling traffic to operator core networks will be handled by the user’s DSL, cable, or fiber access connection.	Better quality voice– With fewer users per access point, femtocells will support a new generation of wide-band voice encoders for better sound quality.
Increased customer retention and conversion – With excellent in-home coverage, better broadband performance, and attractive home zone calling plans, operators will find customers staying and converting on a family-basis versus an individual-basis.	Work with existing handsets– Femtocells will allow use of the existing handsets to offer new services at home, improving the ability of users to use the cell phone as the primary communication device, both inside the home and out.
Expanded revenue opportunities with “femto zone” services– through a combination of auto-sensing subscriber location, and interaction with home networks, femtocells will enable a new generation of value-added services. Femtocells might automatically transfer music from a home PC to the mobile phone, making the phone the subscriber’s default personal music player. Femtocells might notify a parent when their child arrives home from school.	Exciting new converged services– Femtocells will allow mobile phones to interact with home networks in new and exciting ways. For example, users will make it easier for users to download music and videos, or even control home appliances remotely from the phone.