Ubiquisys strikes Sony production deal

CELLULAR SPECIALIST, UbiquiSys, has struck a deal with Sony's UK Technology Centre to enable its miniature cellular base station to be sold into the residential market.

By utilising Sony's skills in mass market electronic goods production and distribution, the company's ZoneGate offering should "cost substantially less than a cellphone," according to Ubiquisys CEO, Chris Gilbert.

Technically known as a 'femto' access point, the ZoneGate plugs into the owner's DSL service. It then provides 2G or 3G access indoors or in areas where 3G reception is poor.

Gilbert reckons that the drop in the cost of 2G/3G silicon, as well as advanced radio frequency planning techniques, have made the femto access point feasible.

The device will require its own SIM card so Ubiquisys expects to sell to the network operators who in turn will reach customers through existing retail outlets.

He predicts that the existence of affordable femto products will increase the number of cell sites an operator possesses from somewhere in the region of 6,000 to more like 2.6 million.

Using a femto cell will be more effective than other techniques which the operators are toying with such as UMA which connects a cellular handset to DSL via WiFi. With a femto point, any cellular handset can make a connexion.

Chris Gilbert explained that the ZoneGate's secret weapon is its own Java engine. This will enable operators to program the units to provide a variety of extra services.

Trials of the ZoneGate should start in Q2 2007 and Sony has the option to take on the product on a global basis. µ

L'INQ
Ubiquisys