Neil Hughes
A number of AT&T users have reported that they were contacted by the wireless provider, offering them a free 3G MicroCell with no strings attached. One AppleInsider reader said they received a letter over the weekend thanking them for being an AT&T customer and offering the hardware.
"AT&T tells me I am now eligible for a free 3G MicroCell," the reader wrote. "All that is necessary is to present the letter at an AT&T store and get a free 3G MicroCell, no strings attached, no cost."
They said they suspect the timing of the offer has to do with the fact that a two-year contract on three iPhone 3G handsets expires in the next two months.
"I went over to the nearest AT&T store late in the day and, when I went in, I was told that the person just in front of me got the last 3G MicroCell," they wrote. "Apparently a number of their other most valuable customers got the same letter today. I was told to leave my name and number and I would be called when more came in."
AT&T's 3G MicroCell is used to patch dead zones with the carrier's service. Users can plug the device into a broadband Internet connection, and provide local signal for both voice and data.
Nationwide rollout of the hardware began this year in mid-April. There are no additional costs associated with the hardware, aside from the purchase of the device, as minutes used through the 3G MicroCell affect the account of the phone making the call. However, some "loyal customers" who received a letter from AT&T are receiving the hardware for free as well.
Individual or FamilyTalk subscribers can pay an additional $19.99 per month to make unlimited calls through the special femtocell hardware device. The hardware costs $149.99, but comes with a $100 mail-in rebate for customers who select a MicroCell calling plan. In addition, customers who purchase a new line of broadband service with AT&T are also eligible for a $50 mail-in rebate.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
28 Comments
I have a 3G Microcell from AT&T ( I paid for it but got a rebate) as a Small Business owner and it is just as reliable as the rest of the AT&T network.
If you decide to install one, don't expect it to solve all of your problems.
It just won't.
Peter
I got a letter in the mail; went down to the my local AT&T store this morning and they didn't have any stock. Called 10 stores within a 50 mile radius -- none of them had it in stock.
I called AT&T's 800 number and spoke to a representative about redeeming the coupon over the phone; she said it's in-store only.
**Sigh**
Also interesting timing with the receipt of my letter. Before leaving town on a trip to PA on Saturday morning, I was regularly getting 5 bars with my iPhone 4 (if I was holding it "correctly"). I arrived back home last night to find that now I'm only getting 1-2 bars. My wife's iPhone 3GS has dropped from 5 bars to 2-3 bars.
WTF? Did they down a tower or something?
Anyone that pays for one of these is an idiot. There is no reason why AT&T's customers should have to foot the bill for AT&T's crappy 3G coverage.
If you need one of these, demand it for free.
Watch out for the fine print. A MicroCell will hand off to a standard tower as you leave the range of the MicroCell but it DOES NOT go the other direction. If a call is initiated on a standard cell tower you cannot enter your cell restricted house/business and expect the the call to continue - sorry it drops as before you got your MicroCell. Now if you make the call from the MicroCell and leave the house/business your call is handed off to the standard cellular tower. Another hand off problem arises if your home is large and you install two or more MicroCell units to cover the total Square Footage of your Home/Business (each MicrpCell only cover 5000 SqFt barring any signal obstructing walls) you also cannot pass off signals between MicroCells. Therefore if you stay in the range of the MicroCell where you initiated the call and only leave the building to connect to a Standard Cell Tower your call will be maintained if you go from one end of your home to the other and come in range of your second MicroCell you will most likely drop your current call. If you immediately redial the call will initiate on the second MIcroCell and call quality will be restored to maximum.
Here in Eastern Pa we have a lot of old stone farm houses and those stone walls really kill the Cell Signals not only from Cell Towers but your MicroCell degrades very quickly giving only about a 20 ft radius vs the 40 ft radius promised by AT&T.
Sad.
How come the leading telecommunication company from the most rich country on earth is this lame?