What is Femtocell?
As with the growing need to get connected all the time increasing. This results in the Femtocell. A femtocell is a small device that is installed inside a premise. Maybe it is in the office or home that gives more coverage to the mobile operator and better voice quality to a subscriber. It acts like a BTS or access point for the mobile device, which is a few meters of the radius. On another side, it connects to the mobile core network over a broadband internet connection for signaling and Voice. Femtocell is very useful for mobile subscribers having a high-speed broadband internet connection but low cellular signal strength or no signal, maybe because the premises in the basement of the building or mobile company tower is at a distance.
How to get and configure Femtocell?
The femtocell option is available for an existing SIM card from the same mobile operator. On request, the service provider installs the device and does configuration in the device to use the gateway. After installing devices, a new network will be shown on the network list for a new small tower. Mobile tries to attach to a new network (maybe manually, you need to select). If all is good, the phone connects to the Femtocell. SMS and Voice call work as they are working with a cellular tower.
Facts about Femtocell.
Many things need to know about new devices before going to buy. Various factors one should consider before using a new option for cellular connectivity.
Do call disconnect while moving from Femtocell to the standard tower?
A new device is like any other cell tower for a mobile operator. Like other towers, hand-in and handout procedures work in the same way. So the call will not disconnect if someone moves from away or comes in range during a call.
Is Femtocell a low-cost option?
It may depend on the mobile operator. An operator saves the cost for a base station by using a femtocell. A base station requires continuous power consumption and monitoring of mobile towers. The new device may reduce the cost. But still, it is the decision of the network provider for the cost.
Is Call Quality always better with Femtocell?
If we see on the radio connection side, signal strength is good within a small area. So looks like call quality will always be good. But another shared connection between Femtocell and the network comes with broadband internet. Other home equipment(e.g., someone watching a movie or on an internet call) also shares the same broadband. While making a call, call quality will be poor if the available bandwidth is lower than a particular range. So buying a fast internet is a must for a good experience.
Is Femtocell is same as WiFi Calling?
For a mobile subscriber, both are similar. Even WiFi calling is better because it does not require an additional device. The same WiFi router will also work as an antenna for cellular connectivity. But on the network level, these two are different concepts. A subscriber is limited to a 4G sim for WiFi calling. 3G or 2G sim will not work for WiFi calling. In Femtocell, a user has to deploy an additional device in-home or office. No change in phone or extra app is needed. While in WiFi calling, the mobile operator needs to deploy a gateway called ePDG, and the device should have support for WiFi calling. Maybe the operator provides an option to download an app to enable WiFi calling or existing phones.
Is femtocell uses VoIP?
VoIP is Voice over IP network. With Femtocell, the call goes to the mobile operator network through an IP-based internet connection. It may look like VoIP. VOIP does not just call over IP. It involves various protocols (e.g., SIP, GTP ). Device vendors may use existing VoIP technologies or specific interfaces for voice signaling and media transfer with the core network.