Node-H, a pure-play 3GPP femtocell protocol software company, announced that the company’s Femtocell (News - Alert) software now includes a cognitive radio technology to sense the surrounding radio environment and to configure itself automatically.

 

Cognitive radio, or “CR,” is one of the new long term developments taking place and radio receiver and radio communications technology. After the software defined radio, or “SDR,” which is slowly becoming more of a reality, CR and cognitive radio technology will be the next major step forward enabling more effective radio communications systems to be developed and this new technology will help the optimal use of the radio spectrum.

 

Node-H’s Femtocell software now comply with the self-organizing network, or “SON,” requirements of the 3GPP Iu-h standard as it uses cognitive radio technology to sense the surrounding radio environment. Node-H has shown sixteen simultaneous calls and the fastest uplink and downlink HSPA speeds it achieved on the Percello (News - Alert) Lima platform. SON capability is one of the final steps required before wide-scale commercialization of the technology.

 

Just like a handset that looks for a Cell, the Node-H employs a process called Sniffing to scan the radio environment. The results of the cell scan can be processed locally, but the full benefit of SON is achieved by reporting the scanned results to a Home Node-B Management System, or “HMS.” The Node-H femtocell software can configure itself automatically in agreement with the HMS.

 

The 3GPP Home Node-B standard integrates the TR-069 family of specifications from the Broadband Forum (News - Alert). Node-H has integrated the Libcwmp TR-069 client from its partner company AVSystem to communicate with the HMS, and supports the TR-106 and TR-196 standards for management of the femtocell.

 

Operators and the 3GPP have created a Femtocell standard which encourages interoperability to drive the price of the technology to the point which enables it to become a mass-market phenomenon and there is a demand for the finalization of the compliant Iu-h systems standards that covers Femtocell gateways, security gateways, a set of supported Femtocell access points, and a Home Node-B Management System and offer them as a complete package. With successful interoperability in 2010, Femtocell deployment is expected to set for exponential growth.