Cisco is keeping its cards close to its vest with regard to its plans in the femtocell industry, but its interest is officially noted as it makes a strategic investment in U.K.-based IP Access for an undisclosed sum. IP Access  is currently testing its Oyster 3G femtocell with the goal of improving indoor coverage for 3G networks, writes Network World's Brad Reed. The Oyster 3G femtocell is designed to support any 3G handset and to deliver indoor wireless signals through broadband DSL or cable connections. Cisco spokesman John Noh says that his company’s investment in the company is exploratory in nature and that no one should expect any major femtocell-related product announcements from Cisco anytime soon.

Femtocell has been described as having your own personal cell tower and has generated much hype in the industry - including the interest of Google which itself invested an undisclosed amount in another U.K. start-up Ubiquisys last July.

Read more about femtocell:

* Femtocell enables carriers to offer FMC alternatives

* The femtocell E-911 caller location problem

* Sprint, T-Mobile respond to the femtocell E-911 caller location problem

More from Cisco Subnet:

* CCDE written test goes live. I passed. Can you?

* Surprise to Cisco? 2008 Technology of the Year Awards: Best IP PBX Asterisk 1.4

* Cisco's a bad bet for phone systems according to Dell VoIP partner Fonality

* Juniper drops DX load balancing line - what does this mean for Cisco's ACE?

* All you ever wanted to know about router security strategies, IP network traffic planes and more - just ask us

* Understanding MPLS explicit and implicit null labels

* Building your own CCNA lab

* VMWare brings networking into the server 

* Win an iPod Touch; win a copy of 'Firewall Fundamentals' book

Go to Cisco Subnet for more Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, book giveaways, and more.

Recent Cisconet blog entries

Network World's IT Buyer's Guide: Cisco products

Subscribe to Network World's Cisco Alert, which includes a weekly digest of all Cisco Subnet items

Click to read the article this is in response to.