Why is home coverage important to mobile operators? The number one complaint from mobile service consumers relates to poor coverage. Along with price, it's one of the main reasons many people churn. In the context of 3G, restrictive UMTS coverage means operators fail to capitalise on some of the key economic and marketing advantages of the mobile broadband proposition.
First, they are unable to differentiate themselves effectively by offering enhanced service packages to anything other than partial markets – or, indeed, to sell such offerings to the real potential market. Second, they lack the ability to build market demand and establish the value propositions associated with services that can claim ubiquitous access. Finally, high-quality, indoor coverage is key for driving fixed-mobile substitution.
Why is home coverage important to consumers? Whenever possible, most consumers want to use their mobile phones in the house, even when fixed-line provision is available. Much of this is about convenience. People use the device they carry around with them, on which friends and family call them and which stores their messages and contact lists. People really are getting to the point where they expect one number and one device to handle all their communications needs – wherever they happen to be.
Why is indoor mobile coverage poor? Buildings and wireless signals have always been an inherently hostile mix: building materials dissipate wireless signals and providing adequate in-building coverage has always taxed the ingenuity of network planners and infrastructure designers.
Why is indoor 3G coverage even worse? UMTS networks operate at higher frequencies and significantly broader bandwidths than GSM networks and so the radio signal's propagation characteristics mean it's more difficult for the signal to penetrate barriers like walls. This comes down to pure physics; the higher the frequency, the greater propagation loss – ie, the radio signal attenuates more at higher frequencies, and the broader the bandwidth used the less signal gain is available to get though a building's walls. The result is that service quality is likely to be poor in the core of a building or on its lower floors.
In addition, significant in-building usage of high-bandwidth data services degrades the macro network. This is because the power allocated at the base station to provide in-building coverage can compromise service delivery elsewhere in the cell. In other words, the overall quality of the network can become compromised.
What's wrong with WiFi? From the point of view of mobile operators, WiFi technology poses as much a threat as a solution. Quality of service issues and limited device availability – along with the Trojan horse implications of enabling unpredictable service access via WiFi-enabled devices – make WiFi too much of a risk for the mobile sector for too little return.
From a consumer perspective, the issues are similar. The limited choice of handsets is a big issue. There are currently close to 300 different types of UMTS device available to consumers, while in the short to medium term it is unlikely there will be more than 20 dual-mode WiFi/3G devices to choose from. Then there's the question of service quality. Because WiFi operates in unlicensed spectra it means that it is very susceptible to interference from any of the broad range of devices that use the same or similar spectrum – eg, microwave ovens, wireless phones, Bluetooth enabled devices, and other wireless LANs. WLAN is far more susceptible to interference than cellular systems where the licensed operators are the only ones allowed to use that spectrum.
How does the ZoneGate system work? The ZoneGate access point simply and seamlessly connects to a user's broadband gateway within their home or home office. The device contains cut down and optimised versions of the principal elements of a mobile network core and radio access network. This enables the unit to look like a mobile operator's network to any 3G devices in range, and act as a device that can inter-work voice and data traffic with the operator's network over an IP connection.
Who is ZoneGate for? ZoneGate has been designed for the mass market. Unlike other vendors that have focused on the enterprise market, Ubiquisys has designed its low-cost in-building 3G coverage system for residential consumers. This is why we have made home usage price points and functionality a priority.
Do ZoneGate users need special handsets? ZoneGate provides high-quality, low-cost indoor mobile phone coverage using conventional 3G handsets.
Can anyone within range of a ZoneGate access point make mobile calls? SIM setup and identity mean that only users with the bill payer's permission can make calls using the ZoneGate device. In addition, because each device has a unique network identity, operators can offer customers special low-cost 'home zone' rates.
How many people can use ZoneGate at any one time? The system enables simultaneous voice and data calls for up to four users per access point.
Are there health issues associated with having ZoneGate in the home? The ZoneGate access point radiates at most 10 times less than that of a DECT cordless phone base station. In addition, handset power consumption is extremely low, with an average battery life talk-time improvement of around 50 per cent.
What kind of data speeds can I expect with ZoneGate? The ZoneGate system will, on average, deliver much higher data rates than those usually experienced by mobile users on external networks. Using HSPDA this will initially be up to 1.8Mbps peak (rising to potential of 7.2Mbps). Final data speeds will be dependant on the usual factors affecting mobile networks, including the user's distance from the access point, the number of simultaneous users, the phone's capabilities and the bandwidth of the IP backhaul connection.
Why is ZoneGate the best possible home coverage solution? For this kind of system to succeed, three important problems need to be solved. First, the system must be integrated into the operator's core network in an efficient, scalable way. Second, in-building radio planning demands a robust architecture to manage interference and co-existence. Finally, all this must be done in a cost-efficient way so carriers can afford to deploy the very high volumes required. Ubiquisys has cracked these challenges with a fully integrated approach to design and development.
