Networking giant Cisco has bought a stake in ip.access, a specialist in gear that delivers IP over tiny base stations called femtocells. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.
ip.access's existing investors include Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion, Intel Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, ADC and Motorola Ventures. It says it is cash-positive through sales of its 2G picocell equipment.
The firm's Oyster 3G femto cell is now in trials with major mobile network operators around the world, ip.access said.
Oyster is a low-power wireless access point that plugs into a residential broadband connection to deliver a 3G mobile phone signal indoors.