Femtocells may be the solution for mobile carriers who are looking to bundle video and Internet services but are concerned about signal coverage and capacity issues, according to recent research by In-Stat.
In “Worldwide Femtocell Access Point Market, 2007-2011,” a report issued last week, the market research firm projects that the number of end users of femtocells — small cellular base stations designed to provide coverage at the edge of a wireless network in residential and business environments — will grow to 101.5 million during the next five years, with worldwide femtocell subscriptions (installed devices) growing to 40.6 million by 2011.
According to Allen Nogee, an In-Stat analyst quoted in a press statement issued about the report, the devices are “a practical, near-term cure” for signal coverage and capacity problems, adding that the technology “is unlikely to be superseded by another technology in the foreseeable future.”
This means that carriers could potentially launch bundled voice, video and Internet services, triple-play packages, without needing a massive infrastructure overhaul to cover signal gaps. In essence, the femtocells would provide the gap coverage.
For more information, visit www.in-stat.com.
