RadioFrame Networks, which develops picocells and femtocells, has published a Whitepaper that looks at some of the practical challenges of deploying femtocells for commercial success.
The Whitepaper identifies seven key areas that RadioFrame says must be addressed, namely:
- IP network design what issues will an operator face with IP backhaul and how can these issues be overcome? This is probably the most significant technical issue, says RadioFrame
- Radio network design how to manage spectrum and address interference concerns.
- Installation how to manage the installation of millions of units and when plug and play fails?
- Management how to maintain a good service cost effectively when there are millions of network nodes.
- Customer Care what issues are likely to be faced and what solutions should be considered?
- Sales channel does an appropriate sales channel exist and how can the channel help support lowest cost deployment?
- Logistics how to manage the shipping, deployment and end of life of millions of units.
Femtocells have huge potential for the communications industry, but there are some significant issues that need to be addressed before commercial success is achieved, says John Cullen, Business Development Director, Europe Middle East & Africa at RadioFrame Networks, and Author of the Whitepaper. As one of the only two vendors in the world with long-term commercial experience of deploying 3GPP (Third Generation Partnershiup Project)-compatible picocells or femtocells, we have built up a bank of experience and have identified the key issues that operators need to consider.
To request a copy of the Whitepaper, send an email to: [email protected]