picoChip aims at driving the femtocell market and secures an extra USD 20 million of funding

CAMBRIDGE, UK — picoChip has unveiled its roadmap to include complete femtocell solutions, integrating PHY, stack and femtocell system software in a end-to-end femtocell reference solution. 

Extending its strong partnership with Continuous Computing, the picoChip solution integrates optimized versions of their Trillium protocol stacks with picoChip’s field-proven system-on-chip products plus sophisticated femtocell management software. The architecture extends from HSPA through to LTE.

The company looks at dramatically increasing mobile coverage within buildings thanks to its next generation of picoXcell chips, aiming compliance to 3GPP Release.8 in 2010.

While some companies have chosen to develop the femtocell software code themselves, many others are looking to purchase a complete solution. picoChip will enable a single pre-integrated and optimized system that includes all the software modules for the complex control functionality required by femtocells.

This reference solution will address all of the key difficulties experienced by manufacturers when developing femtocells, such as interference management, security, timing and provisioning. As such, the complete femtocell offering will go significantly beyond femtocell silicon to deliver a complete solution to address designers’ challenges at a systems level.

Amongst other features, picoChip’s complete solution will offer automated interference management and network self organization. By building on its network monitor products, the company will make it easier for customers to create self organizing network (SON) capabilities within their femtocells.

picoChip will also integrate TR-069 and TR-196 compliant operations and maintenance (O&M) modules to allow system parameters control, remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. 

As well as expecting around USD20 million of revenue for 2009, the company has just completed a USD20 million funding round from financial investors (Atlas Venture, Highland Capital Partners, Pond Venture Partners, Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild) and strategic investors AT&T, Intel and Samsung.

More information on femtocells.

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