Infonetics Research: Operators Turn to Femtocells to Improve Enterprise Coverage and Capacity

LONDON -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Technology market research firm Infonetics Research recently surveyed operators about their plans to provide enterprise customers with femtocell and fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services, such as enterprise femtocells, mobile PBX extension, unified communications, and dual-mode WiFi/cellular services.

The results are published in Infonetics’ Enterprise Femtocell and FMC Services: Global Service Provider Survey, which takes a deep dive into operators’ strategic roadmap for femtocell and FMC services, how they plan to evolve femtocell services into more sophisticated offerings in the future, and how they can integrate FMC for enterprise users.

ANALYST NOTE

“Although there was a notable injection of impetus into the market in 2010 and 2011, the enterprise femtocell segment is still very young. At this early stage, most operators are proceeding cautiously, launching enterprise femtocell solutions to improve in-building network coverage (a challenge for mobile operators that can strain relations with high-value enterprise customers), mobile voice call quality, and mobile data capacity. Once the basic needs of capacity and coverage are improved, the opportunity to sell other, more sophisticated FMC services will follow,” expects Richard Webb, directing analyst for microwave, mobile offload and mobile broadband devices at Infonetics Research.

ENTERPRISE FEMTOCELL AND FMC SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 61% of the operators participating in Infonetics’ survey already offer femtocell and FMC services to enterprises, 29% plan to offer the services in 2012, and 10% by 2013 (Infonetics interviewed only operators that currently offer femtocell and FMC services or plan to by 2013)
• Femtocells top the list of technologies used to deliver wireless indoor coverage and capacity and show the most growth between now and 2013, followed by microcells/picocells and distributed antenna systems (DAS)
• While operators use multiple solutions to provide wireless indoor coverage and capacity, femtocells are arguably the most cost effective, and improve capacity as well as coverage, which not all alternatives (such as DAS) do
• The percentage of respondent operators deploying dual-mode 3G/WiFi femtocells jumps from 5% in 2011 to 38% in 2013
• Smaller competitive mobile operators are more advanced in the development of their enterprise femtocell service offerings, using the technology to target smaller businesses

SURVEY SYNOPSIS

For its Enterprise Femtocell and FMC Services: Global Service Provider Survey, Infonetics analysts interviewed 21 mobile, incumbent, competitive, and cable operators that offer enterprise femtocell and FMC services or will by 2013. The respondents are from Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and the Middle East -- the key areas of femtocell activity to date -- and together represent 33% of worldwide telecom carrier revenue and 31% of capex. Operators were asked about current and future enterprise femtocell technologies used, types deployed, services supported, strategies, subscribers, and more.

RELATED RESEARCH

• Latest Small Cells and WiFi Offload newsletter: http://bit.ly/xh5qIf
• Femtocell market set to double in 2012, Airvana expands lead
• Adoption of small cells / public space femtocells reflects a mobile world in transition
• Small cell survey shows operators plan to run 12% of network capacity on small cells by 2012
• New study details operator plans for small cell backhaul
• Femtocell operator survey provides glimpse into the future of femtocell services

UPCOMING RESEARCH

Download report prospectuses, tables of contents, etc. at http://www.infonetics.com/login (see SMALL CELLS AND WIFI OFFLOAD for 2011 and 2012 services).

• Download Infonetics’ 2012 Research Publication Calendar: http://www.infonetics.com/login
• Femtocell Equipment Vendor Market Share and Forecasts
• Residential Femtocell Service Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey
• Small Cell Coverage Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey
• Small Cell Equipment Forecast
• WiFi Offload Equipment Forecast
• WiFi Offload Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey

SALES

• Larry Howard, VP, Western NA, Asia, CALA: larry@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3335
• Scott Coyne, Eastern NA, Texas, Midwest: scott@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3395
• George Stojsavljevic, EMEA: george@infonetics.com, +44-755-488-1623
• Japan, Taiwan, Korea: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

Infonetics Research is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete more effectively.

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