ip.access (www.ipaccess.com), the market leader in picocell and femtocell technologies, is celebrating another award win. Yesterday ip.access picked up the “World Communication Award” for “Best Technology Foresight” for its Oyster 3G femtocell, a low-power home access point that dramatically improves 3G cellular coverage for voice and data services in the home.

The World Communication Awards are recognised as a prestigious honour in the global communications industry. The Best Technology Foresight prize was won in the face of stiff competition from telecom technology companies such as Microsoft, Nortel and IP Wireless.

Winning the World Communication Award means that ip.access has achieved an amazing quadruple in 2007. At the Global Mobile Congress in February, ip.access took home a Global Mobile award for the Oyster 3G. In September, the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 placed ip.access at 52 in its annual list of the 100 fastest-growing technology companies in the UK and last month ip.access won Light Reading’s “Leading Light” Award for “Best New Product from a Private Company” again for the Oyster 3G femtocell.

Analysts are predicting a huge market for femtocells. A recent report from IDATE forecast that 10 million UMTS femtocells will ship in 2010, rising 3G is well placed to take a significant share of this market.

The World Communication Awards’ judging panel acknowledged ip.access as “one of the first companies to really drive the Femtocell market” and described Oyster 3G as “a striking new technology that has the potential to change the rollout cost and quality of 3G networks.” Referring to ip.access’ nanoGSM picocells, the judges also added that ip.access has been “consistently good at developing the wireless office solution” and believe that “3G femtocells could change how mobile operators upgrade their networks and improve indoor reception for mobile subscribers.”

Commenting on the Award win, ip.access founder and CTO Nick Johnson said, “It is very pleasing to be recognised by one’s peers for our vision and role in creating the market for IP based home access femtocells. It certainly rounds off an excellent year for ip.access”

For more information on the benefits of femtocells for mobile operators and end-users alike, please visit www.ipaccess.com and download the white paper “The case for femtocells”.

About ip.access

Based in Cambridge, UK, ip.access ltd (www.ipaccess.com) is a leading manufacturer of cost-effective picocell and femtocell infrastructure solutions for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and 3G. These solutions bring IP and cellular technologies together and solve in-building access problems for mobile operators, opening up new revenue streams while defending existing business.

ip.access is the company behind the Oyster 3G home access femtocell, winner of the Best Radio Access Product at the 2007 Global Mobile Awards. The Oyster 3G dramatically increases 3G cell capacity and coverage; improves quality of experience; and drives down costs. Oyster 3G is ready for today’s mobile networks and tomorrow’s IMS infrastructure.

The ip.access nanoGSM is the world’s most deployed picocell solution for cellular networks. It provides GSM, GPRS and EDGE coverage and capacity for offices, shops and using satellite backhaul passenger aircraft, ships and in remote rural areas.

With more than 30 live networks around the world and many more being deployed, ip.access is the partner of choice for operators competing in the new converged marketplace.

ip.access counts Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion, Intel Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, ADC and Motorola Ventures among its shareholders.