VoIP MoVoIP Blog

3G Repeaters an Alternative to Femtocells ?

February 9th, 2009

We have seen various reports apearing about new developments of indoor 3G repeaters that maybe a viable alternative to Femtocells, the main advantage is that unlike Femtocells they do not need an ADSL circuit to become operational, this will mean they are easier to deploy and so takeup may be quicker. Wireless repeaters have been around for a long time but tend to be used in large indoor spaces such as airports, stations etc and so are designed for multiconversation and would not be cost effective in a home or SOHO environment.

The first report we saw from Coiler Corporation of Taiwan who are an industry leader in the manufacturing of indoor repeaters, it will be introducing the new Atom AT-2200 Residential 3G Repeater at the 2009 Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona from 16th - 19th February.

The deployment of Coiler’s Atom will eliminate expensive site-maintenance costs associated with traditional coverage extension methods for small indoor areas. It also eliminates the need for major network modifications and new rollout strategies required by the deployment of the femtocells. Since, the repeater amplifies off-air signal, there is no need for ADSL connection, which makes the technology especially interesting for the countries where ADSL penetration is low or where access to fixed broadband would require mobile operator to seek a complicated and lengthy commercial solution. The Atom offers a viable coverage solution for the today’s needs of operators, with deployment cost and time both significantly lower than femtocell technology.

See the full story here

We will watch this one with interest as we see other similar products emerging that will help boost the indoor data rates making the deployment of wireless broadband easier and more viable.

Here is the original post:
3G Repeaters an Alternative to Femtocells ?

Entry Filed under: Voice over IP