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Mobile devices are close to the tipping point where they will be the established means for accessing broadband web services, according to one femtocell supplier.
Speaking on the eve of GSMA Mobile World Congress, Michael Clegg, v-p and general manager of Netgear’s service provider business unit said:
“With the past year's expansion of high-speed 3G mobile applications and services, mobile devices are fast approaching the tipping point where they are the most convenient vehicle for broadband Internet access to personal media, location and presence-based voice services, and multimedia messaging."
The expectation amongst suppliers is that femtocells are best suited to supporting these new services by providing the necessary traffic capacity.
“They enable mobile operators to offer 3G coverage and speed in a low-cost environment,” said Clegg.
Netgear will demonstrate a residential femtocell voice gateway for the first time at GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.
It will take place on the stand of its partner Ubiquisys, the UK-based 3G femtocell developer.
The residential gateway integrates ADSL2+ modem, router, Ethernet LAN, Wi-Fi access point, voice over-IP (VoIP), and a femtocell 3G basestation.
See more on the Ubiquisys booth (Hall 1, Stand G19) at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 16-19, 2009.