Items tagged with microcell
If one thing has grated on AT&T's signal-strapped customers since the introduction of its MicroCell, it's that you have to pay it. After all, you are paying extra for something you should get by default: decent coverage. Perhaps some loyal customers are seeing a reward for that loyalty, however, in the form of free MicroCells. AT&T's MicroCells are its brand of femtocells. A femtocell uses your own broadband to give you better coverage in your house. In the case of AT&T's MicroCell, you have to register specific devices (up to 10) to be used with it. You also have to pay 4150, plus $20 a month if you want usage through the MicroCell to be unlimited. Otherwise, it counts against your...
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The news broke on Thursday that any data that flows through AT&T's MicroCells, which are their versions of femtocells and transmit voice / data over your broadband, counts against AT&T's new data caps. Everyone was all over this, screaming about another AT&T misdeed. The non-hysterical view of the issue, however, is: so? First off, we are no fans of the fact that AT&T charges $150 so you can buy a device to give you better AT&T coverage in your home, particularly when that device is using up our broadband cap. We're also not fans of the new data caps, but that's another story. Here, however, AT&T is being blamed unfairly. To be absolutely fair, any 3G data is routed through...
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AT&T has it bad. They can't borrow bandwidth from Sprint or Verizon (GSM isn't compatible with CDMA), and they have the biggest bandwidth-sucking smartphone ever on their network, and their network alone. They consistently get panned for not doing enough to keep iPhone owners happen, and yet they're spending billions in infrastructure upgrades. They just can't win. And if they soon lose the iPhone's exclusivity to Verizon, it'll be just another blow. Reports have been published lately detailing AT&T's trouble in getting more equipment shipped over from China. They simply cannot get expansion equipment built fast enough to install and appease the consumers. It has been an ongoing issue,...
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AT&T's 3G MicroCell was a huge hit when it was announced last year, but the major problem was that it was only available in select areas. If you aren't sure what this device is or why you should care, it's basically a tiny cell site for your house. If you get horrible service while at home, this basically puts the nearest cell tower right beside your router, which means you'll have 5-bars of 3G service at all times while you're at home if you have one of these. Sounds appealing, right iPhone owners? AT&T has this week announced that the 3G MicroCell is finally ready to make its nationwide debut, with the national rollout beginning early next month. New markets will begin activations across...
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We heard way back in December of 2008 that AT&T was looking to mimic Sprint (and now Verizon Wireless) by introducing a femtocell of its very own, and while it took longer than just about everyone anticipated, that launch day has finally arrived. For those out of the loop, a femtocell is--in short--a mini cell tower. It's a box that looks somewhat like a WLAN router, and when connected to your broadband modem, it actually creates a cell site within your home. Naturally, if you have a cell site within your home, your reception is apt to be great.The 3G MicroCell is the first GSM-friendly femtocell to be offered in America, with Sprint's version catering to CDMA users. Essentially, this gives...
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