COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The London-based Femto Forum has announced it will collaborate with the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt, on a study of how 4G services such as Long-Term Evolution and WiMax can be used with femtocells.
Traditionally, femtocells have been associated with 3G/4G standards, by extending cellular base station granularity to the customer premises. Hence, the natural path of femtocell capability has been tied to LTE, the next-generation OFDM service for digital cellular networks.
However, when Sprint Nextel began referring to its WiMax service as "4G," WiMax has been touted as a direct broadband follow-on to existing 3G networks. The two coalitions will look at ways that both standards can take advantage of femtocells.
Prof. Simon Saunders, chairman of Femto Forum, said that femtocellular base stations could be deployed with special services, such as higher-frequency special bands to "deliver targeted intense high-bandwidth requirements inside buildings."
Peter Meissner, operating officer of NGMN Alliance, said that it was important to familiarize wireless operators with femtocellular topologies at a time when they are rolling out new broadband services.
VIDEO: View a demonstration of a WiMAX femtocell based on a Sequans chip. Video was taken the Freescale Technology Forum in Olrando this past week.
