Wifi gateways get femtocells

And 3g operators may not charge for in-house data calls

British companies developing femtocells, which bring 3g base stations into the home, are teaming up with major manufacturers to incorporate the technology into Wifi home gateways.

The immediate advantage to subscribers is they get better 3g coverage within buildings, even those out of "earshot" of standard, so-called macro base stations, provided there is a broadband connection.

Cambridge-based IP.Access, which uses silicon from Bath-based Picochip, is working with Thomson to pack the technology into a DSL Wifi-eabled gateway.
Rival Ubiquisys, of Swindon, is working with Netgear to incorporarte a Femtocell into a Wifi router.

IP.Access today demonstrated a femtocell receiving 3g calls 30ft below ground in the venerable cellars of Berry Bros & Rudd wine dealers, round the corner from the Ritz in London's St James. Without the local base station, the cellar would have zero coverage.

Marketing manager Chris Cox said he believed operators would not charge for Femtocell data calls, which would make the technology a much better proposition for users – especially in the early days when the hardware will be expensive by Wifi standards.

Pilot femtocell roll-outs are expected in the UK this year but no-one is talking operator names. Cox said: "The operator who gets in first with the technology will have an advantage, because it can attract users from services that don't have femotocells."

IP.Access chief technology officer Nick Johnson says multi-operator femtocells would different radios for each service because they would need simultaneous use of different frequencies.

See Old wine meets new technology