picoChip demonstrates 3G and LTE femto leadership at Femtocells World Summit

“The femtocell concept is achieving significant commercial traction,” said Nigel Toon. “As the world’s number one supplier of femtocell silicon, we’ve recently announced that we have sold a million devices, and that we have secured more than 20 customers for our HSPA+ femtocell offering. And it’s now becoming clear that we, along with the rest of the femto ecosystem, have built up a fund of core technology, expertise and intellectual property that can be used throughout the networks of tomorrow – to disruptive effect.”

picoChip’s stand at the exhibition will showcase the picoXcell PC3xx series of femtocell systems-on-chip (SoCs), featuring a technology called smartSignaling(™) that can significantly ease the burden placed on networks by smartphones. smartSignaling features enable up to 400 ‘always on’ users on a femtocell with additional benefits such as longer handset battery life, by simultaneously increasing the effective signaling capacity within the cell and reducing the signaling required by each smartphone.

A technology demonstration at the picoChip stand will show how an “operator-neutral” femtocell can be securely and simply reconfigured to join one of several networks. This concept could facilitate innovative business approaches by manufacturers and all types of service providers.

Meanwhile, in the company’s meeting facility, invited guests will be able to see a hands-on demonstration of the PC960x LTE small cell solution. Designed in conjunction with Continuous Computing and Cavium Networks, the PC960x recently received the Best Enabling Product/Technology Award at the Informa LTE Awards. It is the industry’s first reference design for an LTE “small cell” basestation or femtocell, optimized for a range of metropolitan, enterprise and residential applications.

Agilent’s exhibit will include a jointly developed high-volume manufacturing test solution for 3G femtocell products. Based on picoChip’s picoXcell semiconductors and software, and Agilent’s N7310A chipset software, the new integrated manufacturing test solution delivers rapid calibration and verification testing capabilities for original design manufacturers (ODMs) and contract manufacturers (CMs).

On Tuesday 22 June at 2.05pm, picoChip’s CEO Nigel Toon will be speaking on the future of wireless basestations and the rise of small cells. His presentation, titled ‘Someday all basestations will be like this’, will discuss wireless network architectures of the future, including those based on LTE and future standards, and analyze how they could make use of femtocell technology. Also at the conference, picoChip’s VP of Marketing, Rupert Baines, will be participating in a panel discussion, moderated by Femto Forum Chairman Simon Saunders. The discussion entitled Latest Progress of Femtocells Standardisation and Future Requirements takes place on Wednesday 23rd June at 12:00 noon.

picoChip’s technology is currently used by more than a hundred network operators, and in all of the main 3G femtocell roll-outs to date. Reinforcing its leadership and dominance of the industry, picoChip has also been shortlisted in four categories at this year's annual Femtocell Industry Awards; Best Commercial Deployment, Individual Contribution as well as two entries for Best Technology for its PC3x3 and PC960x products.