US : GENBAND has announced that its G9T Converged Media Gateway is now available to support the Media Gateway (MGW) and Signaling Gateway (SGW) functionality in both femtocell and Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) fixed-mobile convergence network architectures.

A femtocell allows mobile service providers to extend mobile coverage into office buildings, homes, and other facilities that may have limited access to the mobile network. A femtocell is a small base station that directs the wireless traffic to the mobile service provider over a fixed broadband connection. This benefits mobile service providers by relieving congestion in the mobile network and by improving the quality of service. For end users, femtocells improve indoor coverage and can reduce charges for minutes used on the mobile network.

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) also allows mobile service providers to extend mobile coverage into buildings by using a standard Wi-Fi router and a dual-mode handset. The voice traffic is then carried over a fixed broadband connection to the mobile service provider.

“GENBAND is excited to support and interoperate with both emerging technologies – femtocell and UMA," said Charles Vogt, president and chief executive officer at GENBAND "We see them both as viable options for mobile service providers globally and as supporting market demands."

GENBAND’s G9 Converged Media Gateway scales up to tens of thousands of ports and supports a wide range of interfaces and features for unlicensed mobile access (UMA), femtocell, UMTS, GSM and CDMA wireless networks and for wireline and converged wireless/wireline network operators. Its open H.248 interface and extensive feature set support 3GPP Release 4/5/6 and all major wireless and wireline IP, ATM and TDM network protocols. The G9 platform is a true second-generation media gateway platform that builds upon the company’s first-generation system, the 8000 Media Gateway. Optimized for IP network deployment, the G9 platform represents a significant enhancement of GENBAND’s worldwide market share-leading 8000 platform. The G9 also shares its software with the GENBAND 8000 platform software which has been field-hardened globally for 6 years across over 26 million ports. Its support of IP, TDM, and ATM architectures makes the G9 platform ideal for operators transitioning gradually to IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) networks without requiring the costly replacement of existing network equipment.

About GENBAND

GENBAND is a leading supplier of next generation IP gateway and application solutions. These high-performance gateway and application platforms enable fixed wireline, mobile, and cable network service providers to rapidly deploy new multimedia services. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, GENBAND has research and development facilities in Texas, China, and India. Additional information is available at www.genband.com.