Softbank to give away femto cell routers including free ADSL line

[inquisitor]

Is this the business model of the future? Customers contribute to the network roll out by running femto cells for the MNO and in return they get free broadband at home:

Ubiquisys enables Softbank Mobile to offer free femtocells nationwide

Ubiquisys, a provider of 3G femtocells, today announced that it is supplying Softbank Mobile with femtocells access points that the operator plans to provide for free along with free ADSL connections for residential, retail and small office based customers. According to Ubiquisys, the offer represents a groundbreaking change in the business model for small cells and demand has proven to be strong with significant initial orders already in production.

The Softbank femtocells will be set to open access mode, meaning all customers will be able to access the devices, increasing coverage for all, offloading traffic from the macro network and adding network capacity.

The Ubiquisys Femto-Engine system that is behind Softbank's femtocells is comprised of two distinct components. Firstly, Ubiquisys supplies operator-proven Femto-Engine software that provides the femtocell "intelligence" - a range of continuous self-adapting systems, proven in multiple shared-carrier deployments, that enables the device to react instantly to any changes in its environment. Secondly, Softbank is being supplied with software-ready femtocell devices developed from Ubiquisys hardware blueprints. Femtocells powered by Femto-Engine are claimed to incorporate years of experience gained by Ubiquisys through operator testing and deployments on live networks.

This model is said to have allowed Ubiquisys to break through the mass market wholesale price barrier allowing femtocells to move from niche applications to the consumer mainstream. One criticism of existing femtocell launches has been that the consumer is expected to pay for the device. By offering the device and an ADSL connection for free, Softbank Mobile has overcome this barrier to consumer adoption and becomes the first operator to offer a premium indoor mobile experience as standard.

"Making femtocells free to consumers has long been considered critical for widespread adoption," said Chris Gilbert CEO Ubiquisys. "Softbank Mobile's groundbreaking offer redefines the small cell business model and once again illustrates its position as a pioneer within the industry. Also by using the Femtocells in 'Open Mode', allowing any subscribers to connect, it will significantly increase the operator's network capacity, benefitting all users."

source: http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news_w...ationwide.html