Femtocells are cellular access points that connect to a mobile operator’s network using residential DSL or cable broadband connections. They have been developed to work with a range of different cellular standards including CDMA, GSM and UMTS.

The technical challenges associated with a mass market femtocell solution are significant. From a consumer point of view, the solution must be as painless to install and use as an existing cordless telephone or wireless router: take it out of the box, plug it in and use it immediately. Consumers will expect to have the system up and running in a matter of minutes.

Mobile operators will need to be convinced that the solution they employ cracks the challenge of the radio interference between the femtocells and the public infrastructure’s macrocells. They will also want systems that seamlessly integrate with mobile networks that are standards-based, but are subtly different and include proprietary elements.

The promotion and global deployment of femtocell systems that address these challenges is at the heart of the Forum’s mission.