Femtocells: Opportunities and Challenges for Business and Technology

Femtocells are low–power wireless access points used in the home and office. They operate in licensed spectrum to connect standard mobile phones (WCDMA, LTE, WiMAX, CDMA and GSM) and other mobile devices to a mobile operator’s network via standard broadband internet connections. This technology is of high interest for mobile operators and for millions of users who will benefit from enhanced access to mobile broadband services.
Femtocells outlines how wireless access points can be used by mobile operators to provide high–speed wireless access, enhancing coverage and capacity and delivering entirely new services, while maximising the benefits of licensed spectrum. The book examines the market, exploring commercial and technical factors which are critical in the initial deployment and long–term success of femtocells. Business, standards and regulatory aspects are also considered to provide a complete but concise overview.One of the first authoritative texts to concentrate on femtocellsWritten by expert authors from industry including leading analysts, femtocell and system vendorsCovers both technology and business aspects in detailProvides overview of the relevant standards across WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, WiMAX and GSM air interfaces.

Spis treści:

About the Authors.
Foreword.
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
Abbreviations.
List of Figures.
List of Tables.
1 Introduction to Femtocells (Simon Saunders).
1.1 Introduction.
1.2 Why Femtocells? The Market Context.
1.3 The Nature of Mobile Broadband Demand.
1.4 What is a Femtocell?
1.5 Applications for Femtocells.
1.6 What a Femtocell is not.
1.7 The Importance of ‘Zero–Touch’.
1.8 User Benefits.
1.9 Operator Motivations and Economic Impact.
1.10 Operator Responses.
1.11 Challenges.
1.12 Chapter Overview.
2 Small Cell Background and Success Factors 0;(Simon Saunders).
2.1 Introduction.
2.2 Small Cell Motivations.
2.3 Other Small–Cell Systems.
2.4 The Small–Cell Landscape.
2.5 Emergence of the Femtocell – Critical Success Factors.
2.6 Conclusions.
3 Market Issues for Femtocells (Stuart Carlaw).
3.1 Key Benefits of a Femtocell from Market Perspective.
3.2 Key Primers.
3.3 Key Market Challenges.
3.4 Business Cases for Femtocells.
3.5 Air Interface Choices.
3.6 Product Feature Sets.
3.7 Additional Considerations.
3.8 Adoption Forecasts and Volumes.
3.9 Conclusions.
4 Radio Issues for Femtocells (Simon Saunders).
4.1 Introduction.
4.2 Spectrum Scenarios.
4.3 Propagation in Femtocell Environments.
4.4 Coverage.
4.5 Downlink Interference.
4.6 Interference Challenges and Mitigations.
4.7 Femtocell–to–Femtocell Interference.
4.8 System–Level Performance.
4.9 RF Specifications in WCDMA.
4.10 Health and Safety Concerns.
4.11 Conclusions.
5 Femtocell Networks and Architectures (Andrea Giustina).
5.1 Introduction.
5.2 Challenges.
5.3 Requirements.
5.4 Femto Architectures and Interfaces.
5.5 Key Architectural Choices.
5.6 Other Important Femto Solution Aspects.
5.7 UMTS Femtos.
5.8 CDMA.
5.9 WiMAX.
5.10 GSM.
5.11 LTE.
5.12 Conclusions.
6 Femtocell Management (Ravi Raj Bhat and V. Srinivasa Rao).
6.1 Introduction.
6.2 Femtocell FCAPS Requirements.
6.3 Broadband Forum Auto–Configuration Architecture and Framework.
6.4 Auto–Configuration Data Organisation.
6.5 CPE WAN Management Protocol Overview.
6.6 FAP Service Data Model.
6.7 DOCSIS OSS Architecture and Framework.
6.8 Conclusions.
7 Femtocell Security (Rasa Siegberg).
7.1 Why is Security Important?
7.2 The Threat Model.
7.3 Countering the Threats.
7.4 Conclusions.
8 Femtocell Standards and Industry Groups (Simon Saunders).
8.1 The Importance of Standards.
8.2 GSM.
8.3 WCDMA.
8.4 TD–SCDMA.
8.5 LTE.
8.6 CDMA.
8.7 Mobile WiMAX.
8.8 The Femto Forum.
8.9 The Broadband Forum.
8.10 GSMA.
8.11 Conclusions.
9 Femtocell Regulation (Simon Saunders).
9.1 Introduction.
9.2 Regulatory Benefits of Femtocells.
9.3 Spectrum Efficiency.
9.4 Economic Efficiency.
9.5 Enabling Competition.
9.6 Broadening Access to Services.
9.7 Enabling Innovation.
9.8 Environmental Goals.
9.9 Spectrum Licensing Issues.
9.10 Location.
9.11 Authentication.
9.12 Emergency Calls.
9.13 Lawful Interception and Local IP Access.
9.14 Backhaul Challenges.
9.15 Mobile Termination Rates.
9.16 Competition Concerns.
9.17 Equipment Approvals.
9.18 Examples of Femtocell Regulations.
9.19 Conclusions.
10 Femtocell Implementation Considerations (Simon Saunders).
10.1 Introduction.
10.2 Signal Processing.
10.3 Location.
10.4 Frequency and Timing Control.
10.5 Protocol Implementation.
10.6 RF Implementation.
10.7 System Design and Cost.
10.8 Mobile Device Challenges and Opportunities.
10.9 Conclusions.
11 Business and Service Options for Femtocells (Simon Saunders and Stuart Carlaw).
11.1 Introduction.
11.2 Ways of being a Femtocell Operator.
11.3 Femtocells for Fixed–Line Operators.
11.4 Types of Femtocell Service.
11.5 Service Examples.
11.6 Service Enablers.
11.7 Stages of Femtocell Service Introduction.
11.8 Conclusions.
12 Summary: The Status and Future of Femtocells (Simon Saunders).
12.1 Summary.
12.2 Potential Future Femtocell Landscape.
12.3 Concluding Remarks.
References.
Further Reading.
Appendix: A Brief Guide to Units and Spectrum.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Prof. Simo n Saunders, PhD, CEng, FIET
Founding Chairman of the Femto Forum, Independent Wireless Technologist and Visiting Professor, University of Surrey. Professor Simon Saunders is an independent specialist in the technology of wireless communications, with a technical and commercial background derived from senior appointments in both industry (including Philips and Motorola) and academia (University of Surrey). He is an author of over 150 articles, books and book chapters. He has acted as a consultant to companies including BAA, BBC, O2, Ofcom, BT, ntl, Mitsubishi and British Land and was CTO of Red–M and CEO of Cellular Design Services Ltd. Simon speaks at and chairs a wide range of international conferences and training courses and has invented several novel wireless technologies. Particular expertise includes in–building wireless systems, radiowave propagation prediction, smart antenna design and mobile system analysis. He currently serves on technical advisory boards of several companies. He is the founding chairman of the Femto Forum, a Visiting Professor to the University of Surrey and is amember of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board.
See www.simonsaunders.com for further details.
Stuart Carlaw, Vice President Mobile Wireless – ABI Research. StuartCarlawholds a program management role for ABI Research’s Wireless Practice, which includes coordinating and planning its wireless infrastructure, mobile operator, wireless handset semiconductor, short range wireless connectivity, fixed mobile convergence, femtocell, mobile device and business mobility research services. He is also lead analyst for the femtocell, fixed–mobile convergence and mobile devices research services.
He brings to the task a deep understanding of the critical issues and technologies, stemming from his immersion in these markets for over a decade as both an analyst and an engineer.
Prior to joining ABI Research, Stuart was a Telecommunications Te