Femtocells struggle to find relevance, but continue to evolve

The idea of using mini base stations to improve in-building coverage--thereby boosting the customer experience--was eagerly grabbed by operators. Much work by the technology developers and infrastructure players seemed to indicate that the solution was workable, albeit that interference with the macro network was troublesome. Huge deployments were rumoured to be pending, as operators around the world conducted initial tests, large-scale trials and commercial pilots--and then little more. While the enthusiasm for consumer femtocells appears to have faded, the technology just might be heading for a resurgence by becoming a vital part of the macro network as a small or metro cell. Special feature