With mobile uptake increasing around the world all the time, and data use along with it, the issues around getting a secure data connection and taking the load off of overburdened networks are more prominent and relevant than ever. This means that femtocells and small cells are making tech blogs headlines on a regular basis. Here’s what’s been happening recently.
Small-scale introductions of 4G are happening across the world right now – though in fact it has yet to reach many countries (including the UK). And in the fast-paced world of mobile technology, that of course means that everyone is already talking about where we’re going next. The term ‘5G’ has already been semi-seriously approached by a number of people in the tech blogger community. But what are the suggestions being put forward, in practical terms? Well, one is to increase mobile network density with base stations in self-organising networks, closer to the user. Another is to fit more antennae to allow mobiles devices to use more of the signal spectrum. This article on overcoming the limits of 4G networks from Infoworld takes a more in-depth look at some of the issues involved.
A recent map of UK mobile coverage from Ofcom has shown that 7.7 million homes in UK are mobile ‘notspots’. That means that they’re unable to get signal from all of the five major network providers. By geography, that means that only 13% of actual UK landmass has full coverage. For more information, take a look at this article from PC Pro. Several other maps on all kinds of signal and data were also release by Ofcom including broadband and TV coverage. Go and check them out for some great visual data.
Think Femtocell has published an interesting article recently on the role that femtocells can play in newer, energy efficient homes. New construction standards ensure that homes are better designed, so that heat loss is reduced, cutting down on energy usage for homes and businesses. The downside for mobile users is that these same measures are also weakening incoming data signals, causing issues with coverage in these buildings. In steps the femtocell, allowing extended and reliable signal coverage and ensuring that houses stay energy efficient without compromising your communications.
Mobile Europe has recently released a video, in which they talk to Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia-Siemens Network about how they plan to differentiate their network strategies, in the face similarities in objectives and technology.
Can vendors differentiate on LTE and small cells? Vendor view from Mobile Europe on Vimeo.
