Comments about cultural trends, mobile business, eCommerce and Internet developments

I’ve always been very skeptical about the success of femtocells with mobile operators as I just couldn’t see how MNOs will convince customer s to put up an “antenna” at home and maybe even pay for it. Basically all of this just just to “help” the operator to improve its coverage, which customer take for granted, or reduce its cost. Not considering the maintenance effort for femtocells, which ADSL providers have struggled long enough and mobile operators always were happy not to have to take care of, equipment in private homes.

But there is one usage scenario that I always envisioned to be very attractive for customers, but considered against spectrum regulation. And that is putting up a femtocell at home connected to your ADSL without the mobile operator involved. And by this, not only bypassing any additional fees, but making you mobile phone charges disappear for calls with your mobile while at home!

It seems that there is one company now that tries to make the argument that the spectrum license of the operators does not extend into private homes! (see MagicJack using GSM femtocell technology for VoIP and MagicJack’s next act: Making cellphone fees disappear for home users)

If they succeed femtocells finally might have found there market and I might be convinced to put up a little atenna at home next to my WiFi microwave antenna.

Considering that a very high percentage of mobile phoen calls are made at home …

Any expert on European spectrum licenses with an opinion if this could be legal in Europe as well? seems US mobile operators so far haven’t responded.