28 February 2008

Many consumers have already embrace
VoIP, using Skype or similar programs instead of a mobile phone to make
landline calls at home. Now NEC has unveiled a new technology Femtocell
which is designed to deliver 3G mobile services via a standard IP
broadband connection into a home.

A
Femtocell is a small low-power plug-and-play consumer device that
allows localised 3G coverage using a consumer's broadband connection.
When a user gets home, the localised coverage immediately switches on,
so they can use their mobile phone to make calls at a cheaper rate.

"Femtocell
is a strategy by mobile operators to keep people on their mobile
phones," said NEC's David Iacovitti. "It has the benefit of extending
mobile coverage in the home, and allows users to make cheaper calls
using their existing mobile handset."