Vodafone ( NYSE: VOD) will launch a femtocell in Italy this summer, which will encourage customers to buy both fixed and mobile services from the operator. The box, developed by Huawei, is called the "Vodafone Station," and essentially plugs into a home's DSL Internet connection to pump out both Wi-Fi and 3G (UMTS and HSPA) signals. What makes it sort of unique is that a user can get a box, turn it on, and then be immediately connected to the wireless network in order to sign up for a DSL connection. The box, which will only be available in Italy for now, will eventually be released across Vodafone's entire footprint, reports GigaOM. The general purpose for femotcells is to increase a customer's coverage area, but also to offload traffic from the wireless network to a consumer's own Internet access. However, GigaOM points to another reason why the devices will be popular with operators in the future. For companies like Vodafone, and even AT&T ( NYSE: T) here in the U.S., fixed-mobile convergence is a way for them to bundle their fixed and wireless assets together in a logical way that makes sense to the consumer. Of course, that's not the case for T-Mobile USA, which doesn't own wireline services in the U.S. It has been offering a box for sometime that allows users to connect their phone to a Wi-Fi signal inside at a flat rate. No word yet on Vodafone's pricing plans in Italy.

Source:mocoNews.net