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3GSM: More Pico/femtocell news from Barcelona as HSUPA appears

At PicoChip, Rupert Baines, marketing VP is planning a Monday launch of "the  first HSUPA-femtocell reference design" which will run on the topical Ubiquisys, IPAccess and Dekolink hardware systems. It's a software upgrade, he says.

It's being pitched as a UMA solution: "Femtocells or 3G access points allow carriers to compete with VoWiFi," said Baines.

The new PC8209 adds HSUPA to picoChip’s industry standard reference design, and for 3G data, "HSUPA adds faster uplink and reduces latency, especially important for wireless Web 2.0 applications or on-line gaming."

The PC8209 will be generally available later this year. HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) increases the maximum theoretical 3G physical-layer link speed to 5.76Mb/s, significantly increasing efficiency when used in conjunction with its downlink equivalent, HSDPA.

Of course, the problem for all hand-held wireless devices is normally the power drain on the battery of transmitting that much data - so by including the technology in the lower-power femtocell - which is much much closer to the phone - it is possible to increase efficiency quite a lot.

"Just as importantly, HSUPA reduces network latencies and can allocate capacity to users with shorter delays and greater flexibility: essential features for real-time packet based applications and response-critical services such as multi-player gaming," Baines said.

The picoChip PC8209 product "fully supports the critical 2ms TTI (transmission time interval) specification which enables these features, as well as more responsive power control. "

The official announcement quotes Gabriel Brown, chief analyst at Unstrung.com: "HSUPA is a critical technology that will help service providers deliver low-latency broadband applications over 3G wireless networks. Equipment manufacturers are looking for low-cost, standards-compliant components and reference designs that reduce time to market and meet the price points necessary for this market to take-off. As a pioneer of this technology, picoChip is the standout silicon play in the femtocell market.”

There's also this quote from Guillaume d'Eyssautier, president and CEO of picoChip.  "We are the leaders in femtocell technology. No one else has shipped HSDPA femtocell basestation technology, and we are now in pole position with our new HSUPA offering. We are pleased to be extending this lead and enabling our customers to do the same."