Fujitsu Microelectronics America Inc. on Wednesday announced a new Fujitsu mobile WiMAX base station SoC, designed to meet the cost requirements of a femto base station architecture.
In addition to complying with WiMAX Wave 2 certification requirements, an on-chip processing unit delivers the power needed to handle all functions of a femto base station. For larger base station applications, an additional processor can be connected by means of a PCI host interface to handle larger demands for more throughput and a bigger user base.
“The femtocell value proposition is fairly straightforward: all the benefits of WiFi-based FMC without the need to force users into choosing from a limited supply of dual-mode devices,” said Peter Jarich, research director with Current Analysis. “From a commercial perspective, however, the promise of low-cost home base stations that end users and operators can afford has transformed the WiMAX femtocell from an abstract concept into a business model that operators are actively investigating and planning for.”
