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Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) is important for integrating the fixed line, PC and mobile devices and networks, whether all these are using IP, or whether there has also to be integration with conventional PBX and circuit-switched voice. Otherwise the different systems remain largely separate, even if this separation is masked by call forwarding, simultaneous ringing, common user interfaces, and even a unified mailbox.
With FMC, the cellular, WLAN and wireline networks can be treated as one by the IP system. The main routes are carrier hosted, with the integration being carried out by either a carrier in control of both wired and wireless networks and applications (from this year, IP Multimedia Subsystem will ease this task at the server side); Unlicensed Mobile Access, which connects various types of access point (Wi-Fi, cellular etc) to the core network in a common way; or femtocells, tiny base stations that are backhauled by the wireline network and support FMC using standard interfaces to the core.
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