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How to make HSDPA actually provide fast 3G data

The simple way to make sure that people can get good data rates out of the "official" 3G data network, is to give everybody their own cell, says Ovum.

What consultant Vincent Poulbere calls "the 3G home gateway project" is based on a simple idea:  to provide an extension of the 3G network, with a home gateway transformed into a simplified 3G pico base station, and DSL access providing the backhaul between the home and the operator's core network.

"A key benefit is that there is no impact on the device, as the same access technology is used at home as well as outside (contrary to dual-mode approaches). It can also re-use existing 3G handover technology to switch between the home cell and the rest of the 3G network," comments Poulbere in a summary announcement.

But it isn't easy; there are two big challenges, he writes:

• the 3G home gateway costs need to be very low (typically a few hundreds euros), which requires the simplification of the UMTS Node B equipment that would be integrated into the ADSL home gateway.
• the 3G radio network configuration is tricky. The equipment needs to be self-installable by the user at home, and at the same time, the operator must avoid interference with the rest of its 3G network.

The beauty of the idea is that any 3G phone, or PC card, will work; no need to buy a dual-mode Fusion-type or WiFi enabled phone.

Apparently, several european networks are working on the idea, says the report.

  Tags: picocell, HSDPA