3GPP approves UMTS femtocell standards

The leads the way for 3G femtocells to hit the market this year as there’s now a standard.

MNOs are very interested in rolling-out femtocells as they utilise broadband for backhaul rather than using the operator’s network. A femtocell in the home will use the home broadband to connect back to the mobile network – this is especially useful for data connectivity and could save the MNO billions in saved infrastructure.

A femtocell should eventually cost under $100 including a broadband router.