AT&T expands 3G MicroCell trial to five markets
Customers can visit the AT&T Web site to find out if they are eligible for the device, which improves cell phone reception in potential trouble areas.
The hardware blankets a 5,000 square foot area, about a 40 foot radius from the device, to provide voice, data and text service coverage in areas that might otherwise be a "dead zone" for cell phone reception. The hardware supports up to four users making simultaneous calls, and up to 10 on 3G standby available for incoming calls and messages.
Last year, Charlotte, North Carolina was the first test market for the femtocell device, which provides 3.2Mbit/sec 3G service from the home. In order to support that bandwidth, the device must be connected to an appropriately fast broadband connection.
It was expected that AT&T would expand its 3G MicroCell service to other markets in 2009, but until this week availability was limited to Charlotte. In that test, the device was said to cost $150 and carried no monthly fees.
Not included in the short list of test markets thus far are New York City or San Francisco, both of which have been notorious problem areas for the AT&T network, particularly with heavy-bandwidth devices like the iPhone. However, even without the deployment of the 3G MicroCell, one test revealed this week found that AT&T's network speed improved 84 percent with strong reliability as well — a major improvement over a similar study done last spring.
62 Comments
Rather than building towers with its profits - AT&T will dump the Microcell coverage onto my ISP and my ethernet line. And - charge me for the opportunity to use it - for a few feet in each direction.
What a joke.
My house could use one of these. My calls get dropped all the time. Reception fluctuates between 0/1 bar EDGE to 4 bars 3G
I wonder though, do you need to register every phone that uses the microcell? The website says that you can let your friends use it, but do you have to log on to the website and register your friends' numbers to your account?
acslater, You are correct. You log into your AT&T Microcell Web site and simply add the phone numbers that you want to allow to use your Microcell. Nothing to it.
I really like mine. My neighborhood is a dead zone for all carriers (not just AT&T). I pay $150 for the equipment, and that's it. Reception is fantastic and covers my whole house.
I think letting people fill out coverage for their area is a great idea. What is taking so long for a wider rollout of this hardware? Seems to be happening very slowly.
Rather than building towers with its profits - AT&T will dump the Microcell coverage onto my ISP and my ethernet line. And - charge me for the opportunity to use it - for a few feet in each direction.
What a joke.
It is and it isn't:
They can't cover everywhere - so Microcells are a necessary evil.
They can't give it away - people would abuse it.
I think $50 is a fair price. But I think anyone who has one should get something like 2000 free microcell minutes per month in exchange for easing the burden on AT&T. Charging for Microcell minutes doesn't help AT&T's bruised image.