FMC and Femtocells Heading Toward Full Convergence of Services Says In-Stat

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The hype surrounding fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) and femtocells continues to grow, but it is likely that neither technology will live up to expectations, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). There is much interest in fixed-mobile service (FMS) enabled by femtocells and FMC among consumers, with the promise of more convenience and lower costs, the high-tech market research firm says. Femtocells are micro-base stations designed for home use that support mobile connectivity over the broadband facility. FMC uses Wi-Fi-enabled routers and handsets to carry mobile calls over a broadband connection.

“Whether To FMC, or To Femtocell: That Is the Question!”

“In-Stat believes that by 2010 the FMC and FMS/femtocell market segments will evolve to form a new fully-converged services market segment,” says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. “Current unlicensed mobile access (UMA) and IMS-based FMC services, which emphasize cheap phone calling, will be marginalized. Likewise, operators that deploy femtocell-based services using the same cut-rate calling value proposition will be short-lived. Converged services that emulate the home telecommunications experience will emerge because they will be more highly-valued by consumers than are individual services.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• By 2011, over 53 million session initiated protocol (SIP)-enabled mobile handsets will ship.
• New UMA subscriber additions will peak in 2009 at approximately 3.5 million.
• By 2011, over 100 million consumers will have access to femtocell-enabled gateways.

The research, “Whether To FMC, or To Femtocell: That Is the Question!” (#IN0703786WWI), provides detailed analysis of the FMC, FMS, and femtocell markets. It presents forecasts for dual-mode cellular Wi-Fi handsets, UMA and IMS FMC subscribers, as well as subscribers to femtocell-based services. In addition, the report presents primary research findings that confirm strong consumer interest in FMC and FMS services. The evolution of FMC and femtocell services and the emergence of fully–converged services are examined. This report provides important insight for vendor and operator participants in the FMC and femtocell markets.

For more information on this research or to purchase it online, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/pcatalogue.asp?id=272, or contact a sales representative: http://www.instat.com/sales.asp

The price is $3,495 (US).

About In-Stat

Technology vendors, service providers, technology professionals and market specialists, worldwide, rely on In-Stat’s experienced staff and in-depth research to support critical business, product and technology decisions. In-Stat’s insights are derived from both a deep technology understanding and comprehensive research, which examines each segment of the value chain for each market. Regular and ongoing end-user demand and primary research surveys underpin much of the analysis, enabling In-Stat to provide incisive market knowledge and guidance on future market opportunities via syndicated research products, custom consulting, and advisory services.

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