Continuous Computing, picoChip and Cavium Networks Offer Next-Gen Femtocell Solution

In this heterogeneous wireless environment, the pressure of growing data traffic mounting on cellular networks, and service providers are turning to femtocells as an achievable near-term solution. 

Keeping that in mind, Continuous Computing (News - Alert), picoChip and Cavium Networks announced the availability of the world's first complete LTE (News - Alert) femtocell reference design that will enable customers to address the comprehensive range of femtocell necessities. 

This highly integrated solution is the industry's first to include the LTE modem, or “PHY,” radio frequency, or “RF,” and packet processors, protocol software, intelligent router functionality and a complete Evolved Packet Core, or “EPC,” simulator. It enables femtocells vendors to quickly develop and manufacture low-cost and high-performance enterprise-grade and outdoor femtocells. 

Femtocells (News - Alert) are small, low-cost cellular base stations which are designed to deliver improved mobile communications services. These user-centric, LTE femtocells will benefit the users, while enabling operators to deploy their new networks more efficiently that was not feasible earlier. This solution will help base-station silicon vendors to build their LTE networks in line with demand. 

Speaking on the importance of LTE femtocell reference design, Nigel Toon, CEO and president, picoChip (News - Alert) said that LTE femtocells will carry the vast majority of indoor mobile data traffic and provides vital improvements to outdoor coverage and capacity, in both major cities and in remote areas. 

Femotcell market is growing rapidly. Syed Ali, President and CEO, Cavium Networks (News - Alert) emphasized that Femtocells are the only viable means to cater future mobile network demands. He added that this complete LTE reference design allows users to deploy product rapidly either by using a customer form factor or by leveraging the reference design’s infrastructures. 

The LTE femtocell reference design is based on a microTCA system with a picoChip modem, mezzanine RF card and Layer 1 physical layer software, together with Cavium Networks’ OCTEON Plus multi-core MIPS64 processor. Trillium LTE Layer 2/3 protocols, the eNodeB reference application and a complete EPC Core Network Emulator will be provided by Continuous Computing.