Spend a few days hanging around Black Hat and DEF CON, and you'll see some creepy hacks. If you wanna lose a little sleep, dwell on the fact it's much easier to replicate the work or even to buy data-capturing devices.…
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Cisco wades deeper into small cell waters with $310M Ubiquisys purchase
Another month, another big acquisition to bolster Cisco's portfolio for mobile carriers. This time it's Ubiquisys, the highly-rated purveyor of small cells, SON technology and other operator-focused treats.…
Read MoreTo scale, telcos must learn from the ops community
Half of the base stations now deployed by telco operators are small cells, which means telcos have to deal with the problems of scale out systems. Here's what they can learn from IT guys who deal with the same issue in their data centers.…
Read MoreHow femtocells are connecting the Congo
You thought it was hard to get cellular coverage in your basement -- try getting it in the rain forests of the Congo. RascomStar plans to ensure that remotest communities in the Republic of the Congo get mobile service using the smallest access node imaginable: the femtocell.…
Read MoreHetNet step 1: More LTE microcells than base stations by 2014
ABI Research estimates there will be more LTE microcells in place than actual LTE base stations by 2014. There's good reason to believe the forecast: For a heterogeneous network with wide coverage, the number of microcells will have to far outweigh the number of base stations.…
Read MoreOpportunities still exist for femtocells
Residential femtocell sales continue to lag due to overpriced hardware and the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi in the home. But opportunities still exist for femtocells in the enterprise and as a crucial component of carriers’ overall mobile networks.…
Read More2020 via time machine: networks and systems
At the IEEE Technology Time Machine Symposium last week I heard the world’s leading academics, engineers, executives, and government officials project what the world will look like in 2020. The future brings technology together for everything from enhancing the human experience to improving environmental sustainability.…
Read MoreAT&T to FCC: With T-Mo, We’ll Be Better. Promise.
AT&T's strategy for pushing through its $39-billion purchase of T-Mobile, thus consolidating further the majority of the mobile subscribers, 4G-capable spectrum and revenue in the U.S. is fantastic. Let's take a look at the promises, the changes in strategy and the continuing issues.…
Read MoreTraffic Shaping Coming to a Mobile Network Near You
By the end of 2013 almost all (97 percent) of mobile operators will deploy some type of traffic shaping technology to manage demand for mobile broadband, up from 47 percent today, according to a white paper issued today by Volubill.…
Read MoreThe Real Reasons Cell Phone Boosters Are Suddenly Taboo
Devices that boost cellular signals in areas of poor coverage can turn a useless phone into a portable powerhouse, but the CTIA is seeking greater control on the use of such signal boosters, claiming interference issues. Is that the real reason, or are femtocells to blame?…
Read MoreFemtocells Get Out of Our Homes and Into Our Cities
Picochip today said it has released a chip that will enable mobile operators to place small base stations known as femtocells anywhere, bringing them out of the home environment and into public areas. This is good for carriers, but it may be bad news for consumers.…
Read MoreThe Case for Subsidized Femtocells
Sprint has begun offering femtocells on a case-by-case basis to users who complain about in-home coverage problems. With market expectations huge, that's a long-overdue move that will further boost carrier revenues and should be mirrored by Sprint's competitors.…
Read MoreFree or Not, Femtocell Deployments Are on the Rise
Deployments of femtocells have doubled in the last six months, indicating that an increasing number of carriers want to supplement wireless coverage in homes using the 3G devices. Evan as some carriers charge for the hardware, consumers appear willing to pay for better home voice coverage.…
Read MoreAT&T Data Plans' Biggest Losers: Femtocell Users
When AT&T eliminated unlimited smartphone data plans earlier this month, much of the outrage was from iPhone owners, traditionally the biggest users of AT&T's data network. But the biggest losers are femtocell customers because 3G data use with these devices counts against the now-limited plans.…
Read MorepicoChip Gets a $20M Boost for Femtocells
picoChip, maker of semiconductors for femtocells, has raised $20 million in funding, bringing its total venture capital raised to $110 million. I wrote earlier this month that PicoChip's latest silicon could finally create an opportunity for femtocells to gain real adoption. Its investors must agree.…
Read MorePicochip Gives Femtocells a New Lease on Life
Picochip has built a chip that can support far more mobile users on a femtocell, and help carriers handle the problem of chatty phones that overwhelm networks with movement notifications, push email, Twitter, etc. Maybe it will be just what femtocells need to finally take off.…
Read MoreAnalyst: Femtocells Aren't Dead Yet!
Here at GigaOM we’ve pretty much decided that the femtocell market is dead. At the very least, it’s significantly smaller than what…
Read MoreWho Needs Femtocells If We Have Wi-Fi?
Femtocells, micro-base stations placed inside the home to improve cellular coverage, are supposed to be the answer to operators’ bandwidth constraints. They’re…
Read MoreAT&T Jumps on the Femtocell Bandwagon
Add AT&T (s t) to the list of operators looking to create a new revenue stream even as they move to offload…
Read MoreLike Fixed-Mobile Convergence, Femtocells Are on a Road to Nowhere
It doesn’t matter how brilliant your mouse trap is if it doesn’t catch any mice. Same goes for technologies. Witness femtocells, those…
Read MoreMobile TV: Don’t Forget Femtocells and Sideloads
Mobile operators getting into the mobile TV should not forget about femtocells and sideloading, according to a new report from Analysys Mason.…
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