3G Femtocell: Moving towards Mass...

3G Femtocell: Moving towards Mass Deployment

Dr. Xinjie Yang

NEC Europe

Contents

• History of 3G femtocell and why?• Femtocell is more than a home base station• Benefits? To whom?• Design a 3G femtocell network• A glance at the commercial world: how far from

the success?• Why operators launch the femtocell network?• Challenges towards mass deployment• Where could academic research help?• Summary

Femtocell – a not very exciting term?

• Definition of femto

• Logic behind its naming– Macrocell Microcell Picocell Femtocell

• It is also referred to as:– Home base station– Home Node B (HNB) – 3GPP terminology– Home access point– Small cells

Prefix Symbol 1000m 10n Decimal Since

femto f 1000−5 10−15 0.000000000000001 1964Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_(numbers)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders_of_magnitude_(numbers)

History of femtocell – it all started in 2002

In 2002, a group of engineers at Motorola in Swindon, England, started a skunkworks team, called the "AFG", to develop new technologies. Some of their major achievements included the world's smallest full-power UMTS base station, one of the first demonstrations of television to mobile, and the invention and development of the access point base station (ie. Femtocell) –from Wikidedia

Some of them later founded Ubiquisys in 2004

Femto Forum was founded in 2007

3GPP included 3G femtocell standards in Release 8 and 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swindon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunkworks

Making femto standard

• Is there a clear definition of 3G femtocell? – e.g. Femto Forum one– Low power wireless access points

• Original 3GPP requirements based on modification of picocell requirements• not valid any more, greater femtocell and outdoor femtocell concepts

– Operated on licensed spectrum • differentiator from WiFi

– Connect standard mobile devices• Provide standard air interface• Support all legacy mobile terminals

– To mobile operator’s network• Not to public IP network

– Using existing broadband/xDLS for backhaul transmission• differentiator from picocell

– Plug-and-Play – easier installation than wireless routers• Rich SON feature, everything self & auto

Femtocell is more than a home base station

Home / Residential

•Improve voice and data quality

•Single FAP or IAD

•Small form factor

•Low power

•Future proofed for the digital home

•4-8 calls

Home + Office(SOHO)

•Home workers

•Small Office ~10 staff

•Single FAP or IAD

•Superior voice & data quality

•Advanced features

•High Throughput

•4-8 calls

Business (SME/SMB)

•Small-Medium Business ~50 staff

•Excellent voice quality

•Replaces PBX and Landline phones

•Single or Multiple access points

•HD-Voice Option

•8-16 calls

Corporate

•Larger Business with 100+ staff

•Multiple sites/buildings

•Superior voice & data quality

•Multiple APs

•High Security needs

•Integration with Corporate IT and Voice Network(s)

•HD-Voice option

•16-32 calls

Public / City

•Universities, City Centres, Shopping Centres, Airports

•Picocell / Microcellalternative

•Public Access

•High Capacity

•Wide Coverage

•Robust yet discreet

•16-32 calls

How femtocell can help?

Cost per bit has to be reduced new technologies e.g. LTE

Network cost (Capex and Opex) to be reduced Femtocell can kick in

Low profit data offload Femtocell can (~64% traffic generated indoor)

Voice dominated

Data dominated

Traffic volume

Revenue

Time

Network cost

TB: Tera Byte

Why? – for operators1. Improved mobile system coverage and increase system capacity

Extension to macro layer for the coverage fill-ins Increase total system capacity by adding multiple small cells Off load traffic from macro layer to ease the capacity demand

2. Reduce TCO Reduction on the cost for site acquisition, civil works, tower construction, backhaul

equipment, RAN, CN and other CAPEX/ OPEX. Plug & play eliminates need for radio & coverage planning

3. Leverage the presence of mobile operator in the home Enable operator to provide additional services such as home-location based service—

home monitoring, remote home control, etc,.

4. Reduce customer churn Enhanced indoor coverage and improved data throughput With bundling service and new converged services Femtocell brings entire families or Groups into single agreement

5. Increase revenue Data ARPU increase-- by stimulating users’ exposure to data-centric services more

often using Femtocell solution. Voice ARPU increase– in-home excellent coverage will stimulate user to use mobile

phone more often

Why? – for operators

Internet &Broadband

RNCLeased Line/Own backhaul

SGSN/GGSN

HLR/HSS

MSC

Mobile CNBS Backhaul

Operator ○ ○

User

BS Backhaul

Operator

User ○* ○

DSL/FTTx/Cable

WhoPay?

Macro

Femto

*: Some operators consider the cost sharing model.

Why? – for customer1. Improved signal quality and data throughput with cheaper tariff

Home 3G network for your own with best signal quality – no coverage issues 3G HSPA data pipe dedicated your own – no need for WLAN Flat rate for voice and data usage

2. Seamless communication experience Enjoy excellent quality voice service and feel free to roam inside and outside of

home by premier radio condition of femtocell Enjoy high-speed data applications such as videos, gaming, photo sharing, IPTV,

etc.,

3. Enjoy new services to be created by femtocell home-location based service (presence service, automatic music/streaming

download)

4. More convenient service experiences Unlike Wi-Fi service which requires dual-mode handset and set-up

configuration on handset, Femtocell solution has no special requirement for handset.

Continuity of cellular services in the home Personal phone book, Handset feature

Design a 3G femtocell network – step 1

Iu-PS

Iu-CS

Internet &Broadband

Some sort of box Core NetworkPublic IP networkLicensed 3G

PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Uu


Iu-PS

Iu-CS

Internet &Broadband

Some sort of box Core NetworkLicensed 3G

PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

GANCUu

Public IP network

Revised GAN to Iu mode

Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator


Iu-PS

Iu-CS


PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

GANC

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband

Uu

Security Gateway

VPN Tunnel setup & Firewall


Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator


Iu-PS


PS Core

CS Core

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband

UuVPN Tunnel setup & Firewall

NW authentication

MAP DAAA

GANC

Security Gateway

Device authentication


Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator

Iu-CSMSC


Iu-PS

Iu-CS


PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband


NW authentication

MAP DAAA

GANC

Security Gateway



Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator

Media Gateway

RTP to AMR conversion

High Capacity CS domain


Iu-PS

Iu-CS


PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband


NW authentication

MAP DAAA

GANC



Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator

Media Gateway



TR-069

AP MS

Security Gateway

Femtocell provisioning

Femtocell management


Iu-PS

Iu-CS


PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband


NW authentication

MAP DAAA

GANC



Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator

Media Gateway



TR-069

AP MS

Security Gateway



SNMP

RAN GWNMS

Element management

OA&M Network

Design a 3G femtocell network – well done!

Iu-PS

Iu-CS

HNB GW Core NetworkLicensed 3G

PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Public IP network

Internet &Broadband


NW authentication

MAP DAAA

GANC



Session Management

C-plane processing

Femto concentrator

Media Gateway



TR-069

AP MS

Security Gateway



SNMP

RAN GWNMS

Element management

Where are we today? – vendors

Source: Femto Forum

Where are we today? – operators

Spain

Greece

Qatar

UK

Source: Femto Forum/ Informa

Create a business model

Vodafone Sure Signal costs just £50 for customers spending £25 or more on a pay monthly price plan. For all other customers, it costs £120.

Every Sure Signal order is checked carefully to make sure you're paying the right price. So if you order it for £50, and aren't eligible to do this, we'll either charge you the extra £70, or move you to an appropriate price plan.

A single value proposition

SignalEasy to comprehend

Part-subsidised model

Source: What is Vodafone Sure Signal

UK

Simple Subsidised Coverage

http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=templateCClamp&pageID=PPP_0161

Create a business model

1. High Speed Data Connection“MyArea” is only used by registered users.

2. Discount offer for FamilyInitial charge is ¥2,100 (about 16 euro/$22.5) , then ¥980 (about 8 euro/$10.5)

3. Family Alert & Status Service4. Content & Service package

Family Alert

Service

Send Notification Email to Family (registered MyArea users e.g. parents) when the other MyArea users (e.g. children) are in “MyArea” (Femto zone) at home.

Femtocell value proposition

• Signal• Family Plan• Data speed• New free and $$ Services• Partly subsidised

Source: My Area (Japanese); Discount Plan & Services Bundle

~$Mass Market Femto Outline v4.pptx

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/

Challenges towards mass deployment• Technical challenges• Operational challenges• Business challenges

Iu-PS

Iu-CS

Internet &Broadband

Femto Gateway Core NetworkPublic IP networkLicensed 3G

PS Core

CS CoreMSC

MSC

MSC

MSC

App Servers

Internet

IMS CoreSGSN/GGSN

HLR

Uu

Interference

Battery drainage

IOT

Price

Performance

Substantially

less than $100

Security risk

QoS treatment

Stability

Plug & play

Deployment scenarios

Scalability & capacity

Feature parity to macro

VAS

Total manageability

Costs

Summary

• Femtocell is an exciting technology which is beyond mobile system

• Femtocell deployment is happening and operators are creating various valid business cases

• The mass deployment of femtocells is not yet there –femtocell somehow did not take off in last couple of years

• We are still facing enormous challenges towards a successful and stable femtocell business

• Femtocell industry particularly the vendors need to move firmly and quickly

• Academic research as well as standardization would greatly help the situation

3G Femtocell: Moving towards Mass...

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