Continuous Computing is designing a unified broadband femto gateway with the help of TeamF1, a networking company that develops the security gateway components for residential broadband gateways. By combining TeamF1’s technology with its own, Continuous Computing has created a reference design for an all-in-one femto gateway, incorporating the femtocell, Wi-Fi router, broadband modem and firewall into a single device.
Continuous itself doesn’t build femtocells, but develops software and technology that power the home base stations designed by equipment makers like Thomson and CNS Microwave. “We’re providing a complete software reference base, which they then take to market,” said Todd Mersch, senior product line manager for Continuous Computing. Mersch added that Continuous has 9 other femtocell manufacturing partners, several of which are in the residential gateway market.
TeamF1 will port its security protocols to PicoChip, which designs the system-on-a-chip architecture used in Continuous’ UMTS femtocell. Currently Continuous is focused on the wideband CDMA 3G femtos, but it plans to expand into the emerging long-term evolution (LTE) market, where an integrated femto gateway could augment future connected home architectures such as AT&T’s U-Verse and Verizon’s FiOS.
