Download the Femtocell deployment guide

The primary objective of any Femtocell Access Point (AP) deployment strategy is to extend the same quality voice service that subscribers currently receive from the macro network, down to the home or workplace. A successful deployment will improve coverage, reduce macro network capital expenditure (CAPEX) and result in increased cellular operator visibility in the home.

The uptake of Femtocell services will depend on the reliability and quality of both the cellular operator’s network and the third-party broadband connection. When things go wrong, cell phone subscribers will turn to cellular operators for support even if the root cause of the problem lies with the broadband connection to the home or workplace. Hence, the effects of any third-party ISP broadband network issues or traffic management policies need to be very closely monitored and the ramifications quickly communicated to subscribers.

Using data from Epitiro’s ongoing broadband network analysis projects, this guide highlights quality issues that are likely to occur in Femtocell deployments. The guide also suggests a two-part strategy of pre-deployment analysis to determine the readiness of an ISP's network for Femtocell-based telephony services, and continuous in-life monitoring of voice quality. Also introduced is the need for new network management tools as current systems and methods for managing and monitoring macro networks may be ineffective with respect to understanding the quality of AP-based traffic backhauled over third-party broadband networks.