Mobile phone calls may use broadband as carrier

O2 is about to test a new technology, which will redirect mobile phone calls via broadband, in an effort to take some of the load away from its mobile network.

Mobile phone users in the UK will soon be trying out this new technology that will send their mobile phone calls down their broadband line instead of. across the airwaves. The new technology is basically very simple and takes features from existing wi-fi that allows wireless connection for computers.

This new technology is regarded by O2 as essential in relieving the pressure that its regular mobile service is under as more customers use their mobile for different services apart from regular phone calls, such as reading their e-mail.

A base station will replace in the home, very similar to a wireless router, then, when a phone call comes in to the owners mobile, the system captures the call and routes it via broadband. The same applies when a user makes a mobile phone call from home the wi-fi system takes the call and redirects it via the household broadband connection.

With more people, spending more time on their mobile phones, downloading videos or listening to music. The average time spent on ‘phone calls’ is increasing dramatically causing huge amounts of data transfers. This in turn is putting intolerable pressure on the mobile phone companies.Therefore, they are desperately searching for alternative methods of handling some of the calls.

Steve Mallinson from Femtocells, the company providing O2 with the technology, said: “There’s going to be an explosive growth in data services, and the regular 3G network simply will not be able to cope as these services are rolled out,”

Industry estimates claim that a single cell in a network can handle 500 people making phone calls at one time; the same cell can only handle around 15 people at one time, who are utilising services such as video download. So by sending mobile signals over the broadband it will free up valuable space on the network.

O2 are the first mobile network in the UK to start trials with the technology. It will introduce the units into 500 homes this summer on the assumption that these trials succeed, the company will then begin to sell boxes next year, with a retail price of £50

There are now more mobile phones, than people in the UK, so the market is now unlikely to grow much further. Therefore, mobile phone companies like O2, are looking for new ways to increase their income, and this device offers the potential of packaging services, like broadband, mobile phones and TV together.

Femtocells is projected to grow from $0-$4bn and around 100 million customers across the globe in the next three years. The technology is said to have other possible uses such as easier and faster download of large pieces of content such as videos and music.

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