The market for femtocells did not materialize as strongly as predicted, according to ABI Research. The research firm revised its April target of 790,000 unit shipments in 2009 down 55 percent. The outfit now thinks that only about 350,000 femtocells will have shipped by year-end. Many operators currently use femtocells--including AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless in the United States--yet the uptake has been slow. ABI speculates that this is due to a couple of factors, including a weak economy, which may discourage customers from splurging on a femtocell; concerns at carriers over how to devise pricing plans; and a fear that a rapid increase in the number of femtocells could disrupt the macro network. Release