Fixed-mobile convergence such as dual-mode WiFi & cellular mobiles, for instance T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home Talk Forever which seamlessly bridges VoIP and cellular services, as well as femtocell-boosted coverage as offered by Ubiquisys, is likely to increase over the next year after the 3GPP standards body updated the UMA/GAN standard to include 3G (Iu-interface) support.  UMA (known as GAN by 3GPP members) is the global standard for fixed-mobile convergence and ensures cross-platform compatibility for transferring voice, data and messaging across broadband networks.  However UMA support in the latest 3G handsets has been limited (although the Motorola Z6w, among others, does support the technology), as manufacturers waited for a definitive version of the specifications. 

“Completion of the 3G UMA standard could not be timelier, with strong operator demand for both 3G dual-mode handset and femtocell services.  The vendor community is also preparing to deliver UMA-based 3G solutions. In the dual-mode handset market, we’ve seen recent announcements about UMA-enabled 3G dual-mode handset platforms from both Qualcomm and NXP. And in the femtocell market, NEC, Motorola, Ubiquisys and Netgear have all announced UMA-based solutions as well as trials with O2 and Telia” Patrick Tao, vice president of technology, Kineto

Femtocells are compact cellular network bridges that provide pockets of mobile coverage by passing it via a hardwired broadband connection; O2 are trialling the system in the UK and plan a 500 user roll-out this Summer.

[via Geekzone]