Small cellular telecommunications base
station that installed in residential or
business premise and also at rural areas
The idea is to overcome poor signal
coverage within building.
The first interest start around 2002 at
Motorola. in 2004, the idea momentum
was begin and joined by variety of
company
Figure 1: Airvana Femtocell
Figure 2: Femtocell target
Figure 3: How Femtocell work
Figure 4: Femtocell range where its used.
Subscriber Benefits
a.Signal quality
I. Increase coverage, voice
quality & data speed
II. longer battery life
b. Cheaper minutes
(operator offers will vary)
I. subscribers mobile 1
phone, 1 number
no worries over minutes
II. eliminate 2nd line
III.family calling plans
Operator Benefits
a. Improve residential coverage at low cost
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Reduce churn due to coverage issues
Improve CSAT(Customer Satisfaction)
Increase overall use
low impact to macro BTS(base transceiver
station) capacity or backhaul
b. Reduced OPEX(Operational Expenditure) and
CAPEX(Capital Expenditure)
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Subscriber provides femto backhaul
Does not consume macro RF
Lower costs enable special femto rate plans
Increase stickiness of cellular services
Defense from VoIP (Voice Over Internet
Protocol)competition
Table 1: Femtocell benefit to both Subscriber and Operator
Uses users broadband IP or other Internet link such as DSL or
cable modems to link itself to the main core network.
Acts like a small wireless access point and transmit data
cellular signal and voice within a home or in small space area.
Uses three major element in order to work
Femtocell access point (FAP)
It automatically sets up connections to the core network
using the broadband connection. This enable selfconfiguration and self- optimization within the Femtocell.
Femtocell gateway
In Femtocell gateway, a security gateway will act to
terminate large numbers of encrypted Ip data connections.
The management and operation system
This system allows software updates and diagnostic checks
to be administered for the Femtocell.
Figure 5: The architecture of the Femtocell
In common WCDMA Femtocells the interface that is
used is lu-h interface. In lu-h architecture, the
Femtocell gateway is installed between the Femtocell
and the service network.
Femtocell gateway functions is to carry out the
essential translation to make sure the Femtocells
emerge as a radio network controller to existing
mobile switching centers.
Femtocell will transfer the information to the
Femtocell gateway and the Femtocell gateway will
connect with the core network emulator (CNE) such
as Mobile Circuit Switching (MSC) for circuit-switched
calls and Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) for
packet-switched calls.
In 3rd Generation partnership Project (3GPP) term, a Home Node B
(HNB) is a 3G Femtocell.
Figure 6 : 3G HNB
Femtocell will provide a good 3G coverage for the user
consequently effective indoor coverage can be achieve.
Home NodeB (HNB)
The HNB will take in the competency of a standard Node-B as well
as radio resource management used within a Radio Network
Controller (RNC).
HNB Gateway (HNB-GW)
The function of the HNB-GW is to provide authentication and
certification to allow only to and from authorized HNB. It is also to
combine traffic from a large number of HNBs and produces a way
in point into the operator core network. Other function is to assign
a mechanism to maintain enhanced features such as other IP
based synchronization.
Iu-h interface
The function of this interface is to provide the link that secure the
connection of HNB with the HNB-GW. The lu-h interface also
includes a new HNB Application protocol.
Still on its way. Even Macro Cellular network
cannot meet 4G demand because:
Limitation to built cell site
The spectrum available to any particular
operator is limited
Expensive backhaul cell site
If it going to be produced, it will be in
2G/3G/4G multimode due to mobile
consumption.
Figure 7 : Estimate type of mobile consumption
1. Interference issues
It is essential that Femtocells are capable to working within the normal spectrum shared
with other cellular base station. This can be achieved using many methods such as the
use of 3G and 4G that are able bear with interference and working in single channel, the
use of cognitive radio technology and planning spectrum where possible.
2. Spectrum issues
Setting up the available spectrum so that it can be used with the large numbers of
Femtocell has to put into consideration although sometimes single channel operation
with main core station maybe needed.
3. Regulatory issues
Femtocells will require regulatory approval in order to work. That is because Femtocell
operate in licensed or regulated spectrum and this is controlled by the service provider.
So, the radio and spectrum regulation vary from one country to the next country.
4. Health issues
Femtocell acts as a small cellular base station. So it will receive RF radiation. However,
Femtocell emit only a small amount of power and it is not greater than the typical Wi-Fi
access points which are familiar in many homes.
1. Base station interfering with Femtocells or
otherwise on the same frequency.
happen when both of Femtocells and macro base station operating on
the same channel. Its reducing the network performance
2. Closely spaced Femtocells with each other
There will be noises and reducing Femtocells sensitivity.
3. More than one base station received high power
transmitting user equipment.
Even the coverage inside the building using Femtocell, there will still
signal from mobile reach the base station. It will increase the overall
base station noise.
1. Adaptive Pilot Power control
Femtocell will detect the signal from its surrounding cell and adjusts its own
transmitter power while still maintaining it own coverage area.
2. Dynamic Femtocell receiver gain management
An automatic gain is introduced to the system in order to enable the mobile to
operate without increasing their transmitted output power. This will the noise
and interference at minimum.
3. Mobile uplink power capping
The maximum power output of the mobile when operating in the Femtocell
environment is capped. This is to make sure that the phone hand off to the macro
network before transmitter power rises and produces noise.
4. Extended Femtocell receiver dynamic range
A standard of 3GPP of 25.104 is introduced for the Femtocell to operate reliably
even with the presence of nearby high power mobile phone connected to the
macro network.
In conclusion, Femtocell acts similar to the DSL-modem
means to provide the connection to the user in the home but
Femtocell operate differently by using internet connection to
connect the user to the core base station.
Femtocell will provide a low-cost, small, low power unit and
can be self installed by the user to provide a good and reliable
3G coverage to home.
Femtocell also will improve data download and upload speed
of the user.
Femtocell also has the ability to detect presence and do the
connection to the home network.
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