Home NodeB (original) (raw)

A Home Node B, or HNB, is the 3GPP's term for a 3G femtocell or Small Cell. A Node B is an element of a 3G macro Radio Access Network, or RAN. A femtocell performs many of the function of a Node B, but is optimized for deployment in the indoor premises and small coverage public hotspots. The femtocell concept was originally conceived for residential environment. However, it has evolved to include other usages such as enterprise and public hotspots. Home eNode B is an LTE counterpart of the HNB.