Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) has taken an undisclosed strategic stake in British femtocell firm ip.access. Femtocells which connect directly to 3G phones are small cellular base stations that boost network coverage indoors and route traffic to a fixed-line broadband connection. FT.com reports that the ip.access was already fully funded before Qualcomm approached it, with CEO Steve Mallinson describing the chip giant’s investment as a way to allow it to have “an open dialogue” with the company.

In January, Cisco Systems (NSDQ: CSCO) made a similar investment in ip.access. Other backers include Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion and Amadeus Capital Partners. Femtocells are considered a nascent technology, but several operators, including Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and O2 are currently conducting trials on them in the UK. Operators could use the technology to bundle mobile and fixed broadband services. In March, Deutsche Telecom’s venture capital unit T-Mobile Ventures took an undisclosed stake in Ubiquisys, another British femtocell company.

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