Femtocells are tiny cellular radios that plug into a user’s existing DSL or cable modem service and improve wireless coverage in the home.
AT&T is the last of the big three cellular operators in the U.S. to get onboard the femto bandwagon, says Unstrung, although AT&T hasn’t yet specified what vendors it might use for the trials.
Sprint Nextel is already selling the Airave unit (right) nationwide while Verizon says it could launch their Femtocell program “early next year.”
As a GSM-based operator, however, AT&T has a lot more choice of potential suppliers than do its CDMA rivals like Sprint and Verizon.
Unstrung reported in May this year, however, that the operator could be looking at using a combined offering from Cisco Systems and ip.access. Cisco made an investment in the femtocell startup earlier in 2008.
Meanwhile, wireless infrastructure firm Airvana says it is “betting the farm” on femtocells in 2009 as it signs another supply deal around home base stations, this time with Hitachi (See Hitachi Picks Airvana Femto).
According to Unstrung , the upcoming LTE standard will need standardized femto equipment. Operators need a clear view of how femtocells will support their equipment, before they can even consider large-scale deployments. The plenary meeting of the Femto Forum, which met in September, was an opportunity for vendors to reach a consensus on some of the details, says Unstung.
Related Dailywireless articles include; Sprint Rolls Out Home Femtocells, AT&T: Femtocells R Us, EdgePoint Femtocell, T-Mobile Expands Hotspot@Home, Ericsson: Wi-Fi is Dead, Dead, Dead, Femto Forum Expands, Sprint; Femocell at Home, Google Invests in Femocell Company, Hotspots for Cellphones and Cable/Sprint Pole Dance.
