Ubiquisys is aiming to be the first 3G mobile femtocell supplier to commit to the 3GPP's latest Iuh interface, which is intended to standardise communications between femtocells and mobile networks.

The Iuh interface is the latest in a rush of technical standards, mainly emanating from the Femto Forum, which are driving the mobile industry toward a single standard network interface for femtocells.

“We are delighted that operators and vendors, working within the 3GPP and the Femto Forum, are reaching consensus over this commercially vital interface,” said Will Franks, CTO and founder, Ubiquisys.

Franks said it was important to support a move to the Iuh standard without holding up any of the planned trials and commercial deployments.

The expectation is that the interface will support a more painless deployment of femtocells in the network by allowing operators to select devices independently from the network gateway. There will be no need to be locked into using proprietary interface technology, which could have cost implications.

Ubiquisys’ femtocell already supports both Iu-based RAN Gateway and IMS-based protocols for connection to mobile operators' networks. The remote upgrade of currently deployed femtocells is made possible because the Iuh standard is similar to the current RAN gateway.

“The commercial effectiveness of Iuh relies to some extent on parallel progress towards an agreed mechanism for femtocell operations, administration and management,” said the company. 

Ubiquisys believes that the Femto Forum is the best mechanism to drive industry consensus on this subject.