| | By Darleen Hartley @ Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:12 PM
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Qualcomm announced that it is adding 3G femtocell chipsets to its product line – sometime next year. Femtocell Station Modem (FSM) chipsets will utilize 3GPP HSPA+ broadband speeds, in addition to CDMA2000, including 1X and EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B.
Femtocells are cellular access points that use DSL, fiber or cable broadband connections to extend the reach of cellular service within a small area. Qualcomm is aiming its FSM chipsets at both the residential and enterprise applications of its OEM customers. The company claims that their extensive performance analysis, simulations and field tests indicate that they can address the issue of interference between femtocells and the macro network with their innovative interference mitigation techniques.
The chipsets will include baseband functions, network listen and integrated RF capabilities for all major wireless bands. Qualcomm scheduled their announcement for Barcelona, Spain on 16 February. However, the news seems somewhat premature, since sampling isn’t scheduled for more than a year in the future, second quarter of 2010.
That didn’t stop Ed Knapp, senior vice president of marketing for Qualcomm Flarion Technologies from mouthing a bit of marketing hype: “Qualcomm is combining its industry leadership in silicon integration and power-efficiency with its mobile device and base station chipset experience to now add FSM chipsets to its technology roadmap. Femtocell technology will enhance the overall experience for end users while operators will benefit from the enhanced capacity femtocells will provide.”
Qualcomm’s press piece contained the standard disclaimer: “This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of 3G femtocell chipsets on a timely and profitable basis.” Maybe the early announcement is simply meant to make competitors shake in their boots wondering if Qualcomm can pull it off, no matter how far down the road. X
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