Why talk about femtocells now?
Frost & Sullivan estimates the femtocell market to grow to $5.94 billion by 2016, from less than $0.05 billion in 2009! Although long expected, femtocells are now gaining momentum. Driven by the need to extend indoor and metro coverage and capacity of existing wireless services including LTE, to reduce backhaul costs and to provide cost-effective macro network offload, they are expected to be a strategic solution for mobile broadband networks.
Context
The explosion of data traffic generated by smartphones, video, OTT players is altering the quality of service of mobile networks. Operators are looking for technical solutions that can ensure optimum customer experience. Femtocells bring an adequate answer. By connecting a mobile phone to the service provider’s network via broadband, they offer the operator a solution to offload their macro access network and therefore offer consumers an improved coverage and potentially better voice and data quality of service.
Challenges
We foresee 6 significant challenges before femtocells become a true success.
1.Which tradeoffs on Spectrum and Interference? What impact on Macro network?
2.What is the level of reliance on Backhaul and Quality of Service?
3.How to find the optimal configuration for Network and Device Management ?
4.Standardization and interworking - LTE, HSPA+, mWiMAX, EV-DO… What about WiFi, MiFi?
5.Security - in light of recent news, how easy is it to tamper with femtocells?
6.Does the eco-system provide sufficient momentum and support for the expected growth?
Femtocells in the Broadband Home – Will 4G Solve Current Challenges?
1. BBWF Master Class – Broadband Home Symposium
Femtocells in the Broadband Home –
Will 4G Solve Current Challenges?
27 September 2011
Dr. Christian Krapichler
Director of Technology
Altran Technologies UK
2. Altran & Femtocells
Altran Altran & Telecoms Altran & Femtocells
“Bringing our clients' €300m of technology From technology strategy to
ideas to life” innovation & services R&D… to deployment and
operations
» €1.4bn turnover » Complete lifecycle
» 17,000 staff » E2E value chain » All key players
» 5 key industries » 4 lines of expertise » Connected Solutions
» 26 countries
15% 22%
Aerospace
Financial Services
& Defence
& Government
18%
21% Automotive
Telecoms Infra &
& Media Transportation
24%
Energy, Utilities, Industry,
Healthcare
3. Femtocells – Current Challenges
Femtocells are
rapidly gaining
momentum in
the market...
...and so are
the challenges!
4. Femtocells – Current Challenges
Radio
Current
challenges
stretch across
QoS / QoE Security many aspects:
• Technology
Femtocell
Challenges • Regulatory
• Business
Network / Standards,
Device Inter- • Market
Mgmt operability
...and from R&D
Eco- to Integration,
System Deployment and
Operations
5. Interference at the Heart of Radio related Challenges
Radio
• Indoor coverage key to • Operating Femtocells
QoS / QoE Security
Femtocell
Challenges
Femtocell proposition on dedicated band Network /
Device
Mgmt
Standards,
Inter-
operability
• 70% of calls indoors – leads to shortage Eco-
System
vs. 2% of buildings Spectrum • UMTS 900 as viable
with indoor solution option
Keywords include:
64QAM, MIMO, Adaptive
Signal Processing, Tx/Rx
Diversity, Cooperative
Comms, Beamforming,
Coverage Interference Throughput
Cognitive Radio
Our Verdict:
• Technology evolution • Femto-Femto Self-
and new capabilities Optimization 4G will help addressing
• Complex algorithms to Complexity • Femto-Macro issues with Throughput,
address radio dedicated bands for Interference, and –
performance and Residential, impact on depending on licenses –
interference issues Metro / Enterprise
Spectrum, at the cost of
increasing Complexity
6. Recent Headlines emphasize need to ensure Security
Radio
QoS / QoE Security
Femtocell
Challenges
Network / Standards,
Device Inter-
Mgmt operability
“Femtocells wilt
“UMA FemtoCell
Eco-
System
under attack” “Security Issues in Security Concerns”
Next Generation
Mobile Networks: “Femtocell Security:
LTE and Femtocells” Capturing phone
“Insecure [...] numbers of passers-by”
femtocells allow “MAJOR HACK: [...]
eavesdropping, call femtocells open phones
fraud” up to intercept”
• Recent headlines highlight security concerns Our Verdict:
around Femtocells – whilst some are biased or
exaggerated, others emphasize the need to
address Security across the entire network. Such Security concerns
are particularly
• The impact on Residential Femtocells is limited, applicable to new
whereas Metro / Enterprise deployments will technologies – and 4G
require additional effort – to meet the security Femtocells will be no
expectations of mobile networks and keep the exception.
advantage over other technologies such as WiFi.
7. Standards – Interworking – Interoperability: Vital for the success of Femtocells
Radio
QoS / QoE Security
• Seamless H/O Network /
Femtocell
Challenges
Standards,
• IMS integration
Device Inter-
Mgmt operability
Macro- • Network / Device
Eco-
System
Network Management The nature of
Femtocells
requires co-
• No H/O existence and
WiFi • Need Dual Stack: interfacing with
• Complexity
(UMA) • Higher Cost various other
• Less Battery Life technologies.
Femto-
Our Verdict:
cells • DSL as Backhaul
• Need E2E Security Femtocells have many
Fixed • QoS / QoE impact touch points towards
• Triple/Quad Play various networks - 4G
vs. separate ISP network architectures
support interworking,
albeit new standards &
• Need standardized
interfaces
increasing complexity
M2M require further effort.
• Example: Smart
Metering for
Residential Solar
8. Expanding Eco-System provides Basis for expected Growth
9 new
Radio
QoS / QoE Security
deployments Femtocell
Challenges
Exponential in 2011Q2, Network /
Device
Standards,
Inter-
Mgmt operability
growth now totalling Eco-
System
forecasts 31
commercial Growth in
services breadth and
depth –
Eco-System
‘getting
Growing demand crowded’
8 of Top 10
(Data Explosion) –
Operator Groups
but revenues
offer Femto
lagging behind
Our Verdict:
Although driven by
Operator ‘push’ more
68 vendors than Consumer ‘pull’,
Current in Femto demand and growth
Transition Forum –
from Early forecasts show that
incumbents and
Adopters to new entrants, Femtocells have found
Early Majority ‘Telecoms’ and their place – supported
‘IT’ players
by a strong eco-system.
Sources:
• Femto Forum / Informa
• Frost & Sullivan
• Pyramid Research
9. Network / Device Management – “Two Worlds Colliding”
Radio
QoS / QoE Security
Femtocell
Challenges
Network / Standards,
Device Inter-
Mgmt operability
Eco-
System
Managed Femto-
Consumers
Networks cells
• NOC, NMS • Multitude of
profiles
• Managed NW
• Untrained –
Performance Our Verdict:
requires
• Strong Security customer Auto-Configuration and
• Radio support
Self-Optimization are
Optimization • Uncontrolled –
mandatory in residential
• Capacity & Site risk of mis-
configuration, setups – requiring time
Management and effort to identify
tampering
• SW/HW and tune right
• Provides ‘own’
Upgrades parameters particularly
backhaul
• Technology • Large number of for new technologies.
Roadmap ‘sites’
10. Femtocells as Enablers for Services and Improved QoS / QoE
Radio
QoS / QoE Security
“Connected Home” “Femtozone” Femtocell
Challenges
Localized Services
Network / Standards,
Services Device
Mgmt
Eco-
System
Inter-
operability
• Multimedia (incl. mobile TV, • Home Tariffs
interactive TV, HD IPTV) • Location Based Services
• Home Networking, access • Presence
to PC / other services • Context
• M2M, Automation
• FMC Integration
Dependency on Backhaul
for E2E QoE:
• Integrated Femto / HomeGW Our Verdict:
• Optimize bandwidth efficiency
• Traffic Shaping Detection Femtocells promise to be
Improved enablers for a new
“Core Services” generation of services.
• Voice Quality 4G will significantly
• Data Speed improve the underlying
• Indoor Signal Strength ‘Core’ services and
• Latency strengthen ‘connected’
Source: Femto Forum and ‘localized’ services.
11. Conclusions – Turning the Question on its Head!
Our Verdict:
“Femtocells in the
4G technology will Broadband Home –
address some of the Will 4G Solve Current
current challenges for
Femtocells – others are Challenges?“
yet to be solved, and
new challenges will
arise.
Our Verdict:
Yes – Femtocells provide
many solutions to
“4G in the achieve the goals of 4G
Broadband Home – deployment, and help
addressing technical and
Will Femtocells Solve commercial challenges
Current Challenges?“ and considerations.