The Femto Forum has published an industry-wide agreed set of API specifications that enable advanced mobile applications based on femtocell technology. The first applications have already been built based on these specifications by the Forum’s vendor members for operator customers. Additionally, the Femto Forum has worked with the Broadband Forum to update the standard for femtocell management to ensure customer equipment can be remotely updated to support advanced applications. 

The API specifications are now available to the femtocell community and the Forum is keen to see other bodies implement the completed specifications into the dominant industry standard APIs. The specifications are for network-based APIs, which will allow operators to drive the development of femtocell-powered open access, enterprise and consumer applications. The API provides femtocell awareness information so developers can incorporate enhanced presence, context and location-sensitive features into new and existing apps, and can also take advantage of the lower cost and faster data connections enabled by femtocells.

In parallel to this work, the Femto Forum has worked with the Broadband Forum to update its TR-196 Femto Access Point Service Data Model, a global femtocell management standard, to enable support for femtocell applications. This will allow mobile operators to use their standard management systems to remotely provision and configure advanced femtocell applications on their customers’ equipment as well as issue repairs and updates.

“With residential, enterprise and outdoor femtocell deployments rapidly growing across the globe, there is a major opportunity for operators to start offering unique new applications. Already in Japan, we are seeing mobile operators offering commercial, revenue-generating applications that send an SMS to parents when children arrive home from school. The number of potential applications enabled by this new and exciting API is literally endless,” said Andy Germano, The Femto Forum’s Vice-Chairman and head of the Services Special Interest Group. 

Femtocells have a number of attributes which can be used to create compelling new mass-market mobile applications.They are location-sensitive so users can choose applications that automatically trigger when they enter, or leave, the home or office. The fast and low-cost data connection provided by the femtocell also provides the ideal environment for services, such as fast podcast downloads or flawless media streaming when the user is connected to the femtocell. 

Additionally, femtocells act as a bridge between the mobile and home networks, giving the mobile handset secure access to all other ‘connected’ devices on the home LAN, enabling media sharing and the ability for the handset to be used as a remote control for other consumer electronics devices and home automation. In addition to providing in-home access, the femtocell will also allow users to remotely connect to devices from outside their house via their mobile phone.