Femtocells To Replace Parts of the 3G Network

sweetpea23 writes "Grown-up versions of femtocells — devices which beef up 3G network strength in the home — are set to take over parts of the outdoor cellular networks, according to technology vendor picoChip. Femtocells — such as Vodafone UK's Sure Signal device — are cut-down versions of mobile phone base stations, redesigned to operate inside buildings, using home broadband networks to route 3G data onto the Internet. Now, picoChip, which claims to provide 70 percent of the chips used to make femtocells, has unveiled a toughened up version, which takes the femtocell idea back out onto the streets."

Comments

Honest Question

[Sonny Yatsen]

FTA:

“Instant messaging and Exchange are the worst offenders,” claiming that a smartphone with “always on” applications like Exchange - while doing very little - can produce the same signalling load on the network as a device making 1000 voice calls per day.

I'm not trying to be facetious, but how does a phone with Exchange produce the same amount of load on a network as a device that's constantly making voice calls? I realize that the phone will be signaling to a server to keep data synced, but how does it produce that much load?

Re:Honest Question

[Anonymous Coward]

It's called exaggerating the truth in order to sell your product.

Re:Honest Question

[kent_eh]

I'm not trying to be facetious, but how does a phone with Exchange produce the same amount of load on a network as a device that's constantly making voice calls? I realize that the phone will be signaling to a server to keep data synced, but how does it produce that much load?

Because signaling traffic and user traffic are handled differently.

A very rough analogy to TCP/IP:
Signaling traffic is similar to SYN, ACK, DNS, DHCP, STP, ARP, SMB and all the other stuff you see on a normal LAN that isn't user payload.
On a GSM/UMTS network, this stuff is running on a separate virtual channel from the user traffic (voice or data). Think of it like a separate VLAN which has a max bandwidth allocated to it. (by design)
Basically, the "overhead" packets clog the signaling channel, even though the traffic channel still has oodles of bandwidth available. SYN flood anyone?

Hurray for paying more to use my service

[Anaxagoras]

So let me get this straight. I already pay at&t over 100$ a month, but I can't use my cell phone in my new apartment because I have a crappy signal (other providers are fine, but I'm locked into my contract for another year), so I can PAY them for a device to make calls over MY internet connection so they don't have to upgrade their shoddy network! bah humbug!

Note I do have at&t and have no issues at home, but this is the situation a friend of mine is going through and they want him to buy this device to use a service he's already paying for.

Re:Problems

[Ephemeriis]

The biggest problem with femtocells is that customers expect them to be free. This isn't unreasonable, after all they're paying a monthly fee to get a service and they expect that they can stand in the bathroom in their city centre flat and be able to make a call.

It isn't so much that they aren't free... It's that they cost so much, while costing me additional resources, and not really doing much for me except allowing me to use the device that I'm supposed to be able to use anyway.

I have a Verizon cell phone. According to all their coverage maps, I should be fine. I'm not. I routinely drop calls at home. Regardless of what they say, we're right on the edge of their coverage.

Verizon offers a femtocell for $250. This femtocell will use my electricity, it will use my bandwidth, and it will not save me any money at all. I still get charged for calls and data at the normal rate even though I'm having less of an impact on their infrastructure. All I get for my money is the ability to use my cell phone in an area where they swear I should be able to use it anyway.

I wouldn't complain if the femtocell was just $50... Or if they took $5/month off my bill... Or if calls/data/whatever were discounted while using the femtocell...