Femtocell - any info?

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cjmack

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# 56931 28-Jan-2010 19:37

Hi,

I have been reading a bit about femtocell overseas, but havn't found much info on its deployment in NZ. The only info I have found is this: http://forum.vodafone.co.nz/topic/1289-femtocell-anyone/page__pid__10966__mode__threaded

It's still really only talk about what they are doing overseas, Does anyone know what the plan is with femtocell in NZ? The most recent info I found was in July last year: http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/chris-keall/telecom-joins-vodafone-testing-cell-site-your-living-room

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# 294137 28-Jan-2010 21:40

Neither Vodafone or Telecom has any plans at this stage to launch Femtocells in NZ.

cjmack

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# 294643 30-Jan-2010 15:05

Well that's silly, I know a few people who would grab it straight away, myself included.

VFNZPaulBrislen

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# 294665 30-Jan-2010 17:08

Not quite true. We do have plans for femto cells but I'm not at liberty to pass them on just yet.

Vodafone has launched 3G repeaters for those customers who are in need of additional coverage and who meet the criteria. I've got one in the kitchen - it works really well. Repeaters don't need DSL for backhaul - they just amplify the existing signal. I live in an area with limited coverage and the repeater means I can now make calls and use 3G data.

Cheers

Paul

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richms

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# 294707 30-Jan-2010 20:17

I doubt that any NZ connection could properly support the femtocell without the ISP being actively involved in provisioning for it.

vodafone and telecom could probably get it working on their own adsl connections, but stuff paying $1-2 a gig to provice the mobile telcos backhaul for them.

Richard rich.ms

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# 294716 30-Jan-2010 20:38

That's not really how they work Richms...

the femtocell plugs into your DSL connection and acts just as a wifi router would, but on the 3G frequency instead (or 2G I guess if you get one for that).

The DSL connection is backhaul - don't know anyone in NZ that charges "$1-2 a gig" in that regard.

Cheers

Paul

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peejayw

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# 294732 30-Jan-2010 21:11

Where is the info on repeaters? I am 400m from a 3g site but have no 3g and even 2g is difficult, calls drop as I move through the house. Out in the sticks somewhere? Nope, Whangarei.

freitasm

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# 294733 30-Jan-2010 21:13

And that's exactly what Richms is pointing out: a femtocell plugs into the customer's own broadband connection.

In effect the handset uses the customer's broadband connection to communicate with his mobile operator. Effectivelly the customer is giving the mobile operator the backhaul that is not being provided with the service.

Richms is just saying that the customer will be paying for the bandwidth used when a call is placed - on top of the per minute rates.

Of course, the mobile operator still provides the HLR integration and connection to the other telecommunications network so it's fair the customer is charged - but would the customer be charged the same per minute rate, knowing the mobile operator is not providing the same coverage as other people receive?

It's in effect a way of not having to invest in certain areas - rural for example?

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richms

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# 294749 30-Jan-2010 22:20

add to that, without QOS they work really really badly, and the inability for most users to know that its needed or how to set it up, I think the only way they will work in NZ if its built into one of the shoddy hmoe gateways that ISPs give out.

Vodafone and huwai might be able to knock something together that would work without penelizing customers for using it in the way of using their cap and providing a pretty shoddy service to them.

I will get a magicjack one once they are available and see how it goes, not interested in paying data costs to run an ISP supplied one, and VF and telecom are some of the most expensive broadband so not chaning to them even if they were to zero rate the femtocell traffic.

Richard rich.ms

sbiddle

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# 294793 31-Jan-2010 09:11

richms: I will get a magicjack one once they are available and see how it goes, not interested in paying data costs to run an ISP supplied one, and VF and telecom are some of the most expensive broadband so not chaning to them even if they were to zero rate the femtocell traffic.

You do realise the Magicjack is GSM only and only works with their VoIP service?

richms

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# 294949 31-Jan-2010 16:43

yes, but I expect that there will be solutions for that come about if it prooves to be any good.

If I could put a couple of them around the house and have GSM handsets as asterisk extensions - that would be great.

Richard rich.ms

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# 294958 31-Jan-2010 17:05

PaulBrislen: Not quite true. We do have plans for femto cells but I'm not at liberty to pass them on just yet.

Vodafone has launched 3G repeaters for those customers who are in need of additional coverage and who meet the criteria. I've got one in the kitchen - it works really well. Repeaters don't need DSL for backhaul - they just amplify the existing signal. I live in an area with limited coverage and the repeater means I can now make calls and use 3G data.

Cheers

Paul

what are the Repeaters called? i want to google them to see how much they cost. Can i legally use them in new zealand?

coffeebaron

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# 294965 31-Jan-2010 17:16

freitasm:It's in effect a way of not having to invest in certain areas - rural for example?

Hmmm, plug into non existent rural DSL to get some 3G coverage, to get some broadband because you're too far from the exchange to get DSL :)

I think they have little rural appeal.

Chorus has spent $1.4 billion on making their xDSL broadband network faster and even more now as they are upgrading their rural Conklins. If your still stuck on ADSL or VDSL, why not spend $195 on a master filter install to make sure you are getting the most out of your connection?
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VFNZPaulBrislen

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# 294968 31-Jan-2010 17:25

The model we're using for repeaters is to offer them to high spend customers who are having reception issues in the short term. I'd like to see them on sale for any user who needs one but we have limited stock at the moment so they're business users first.

They need installing in most cases so a man in a van vines out to put them in the right spot.

Cheers

Paul

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sbiddle

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# 294970 31-Jan-2010 17:32

richms: yes, but I expect that there will be solutions for that come about if it prooves to be any good.

If I could put a couple of them around the house and have GSM handsets as asterisk extensions - that would be great.

The problem is you'll never be legally allowed to use one in NZ (or most other countries) because there is no licence free GSM or UMTS spectrum available.

MikeyPI

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# 295107 1-Feb-2010 09:48

sbiddle:
richms: yes, but I expect that there will be solutions for that come about if it prooves to be any good.

If I could put a couple of them around the house and have GSM handsets as asterisk extensions - that would be great.

The problem is you'll never be legally allowed to use one in NZ (or most other countries) because there is no licence free GSM or UMTS spectrum available.

As I was aware Magicjack is yet to pass FCC approval...

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