Vodafone Group is carrying out technical trials of 3G femtocells to assess how effectively the technology is able to deliver wireless high-speed data and voice services inside homes and business locations.

Vodafone is currently carrying out technical trials in Spain with both Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei to explore the potential of femtocells, which are wireless access points supporting 3G devices and connecting to the core network via broadband DSL.

Based on the trials, Vodafone anticipates that femtocell technology may potentially enable it to offer its customers highly targeted propositions for the home and office offering enhanced indoor coverage.

Vodafone is also exploring whether the deployment of femtocells could generate greater cost efficiencies through the provision of highly targeted 3G broadband coverage using DSL technology to connect the customer to the core network.