Sprint's Airave signal booster goes on sale nationwide

Just as July began, we heard that Sprint would finally begin shipping its Airave signal booster nationwide before the month ended. It cut things close, but we can't deny that the rumor proved true. Starting right now, Sprint users with horrendous service in their own homes can begrudgingly cough up $99.99 to have the base station sent directly to you. From there, you'll have to throw down $4.99 per month for extending your coverage but still using your plan minutes, $10 per month if you're looking to make unlimited calls (through the Airave) with a single Sprint phone or $20 per month for unlimited calling for multiple lines. Critics have already harshed on the $50 increase in price from when it launched in Denver and Indy last year, not to mention the relatively high monthly fees, but we suppose you can take it or leave it depending on how regularly you drop calls from your couch. Oh, and don't even think of using this overseas -- the required GPS module makes sure you're in the US before enabling calls.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Update: Sprint pinged us to say the official "on sale date" is August 17, 2008.

[Jack peterson @ Jul 29th 2008 12:27PM]

this is great!
I have sprint and get terrible reception in my house and near it, also. However, the pricetag sort of scares me...

[BluesK1d @ Jul 29th 2008 12:47PM]

Thats the reaction they are hoping for. This is outrageous. Not only is it too expensive but WTF is the deal with a monthly fee AND/or the use of your airtime minutes? You are using your own bandwidth you already pay your ISP for. This device should just be sold as an affordable device with no freakin' fee. Even without charging a fee, they come out ahead since you arent burning their OTA bandwidth. Dropping a Benjamin and tacking on another $5-$10 could be just the nudge people need to switch carriers (if possible in your area).

[Ian @ Jul 29th 2008 2:47PM]

This plan appears more complex and open than most are understanding.
For a single phone one has to buy the hardware for $100 amd then spend another $15.00 p.m. on yuour exisitng plan. In return you get UNLIMITED talk time while within a reasonable distance on thsi device (at work or home). Thus this turns a limited minuted plan into unlimited at say your residence...

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 29th 2008 4:10PM]

What you need is Wilson Electronics in building cellular repeater and antenna system coupled with a cellular amplifier.

http://www.wilsonelectronics.com////Products.php?Type=B

[Josh @ Jul 30th 2008 11:56AM]

I don't know how they pull out that stunt. They are the one benefiting from this by freeing up their base stations and lines to the CO.

I went to a presentation about 3 months ago where they told me they were going to offer it for free for some customers - I guess they got greedy!

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 30th 2008 10:15PM]

Yes this is great! You get to PAY THEM to reduce the load on THEIR TOWERS by having you route your calls over VOIP through YOUR broadband connection!

**** WHAT A FREAKING DEAL ****

[Johan S @ Jul 29th 2008 12:28PM]

Great another excuse for sprint to reduce its signal strength. No wonder they recently sold (most or all?) of their towers.

Gold medal. For dropped calls fail.

[Michael @ Jul 29th 2008 9:56PM]

@Johan S - Sprint is not reducing signal strength, what ever gave you that idea?!?!?!?

They sold a bunch of towers so they don't have to worry about maintaining them, now they just lease them and still use all of them. ATT, Verizon and all the rest did the same thing a while back. Get your facts straight next time so you don't sound like a idiot again.

[stiltskin @ Jul 30th 2008 1:05AM]

Please and its using my internet this is not worth the price let me use my Moguls wifi.

[J3 L U N T @ Jul 29th 2008 12:35PM]

now is that pronounced 'Air - Ave' or 'Ai - Rave (I Rave)'?

[Rocky @ Jul 29th 2008 12:36PM]

Wouldn't it make more sense to subsidize these signal boosters to customers that have a weak signal instead of letting that customer leave for a competitor's service that has a stronger signal? Oh, that's right, we're talking about a cellphone carrier, idiots.

[Jim @ Jul 29th 2008 12:54PM]

Agreed! Why should customers have to subsidize the carrier's shitty coverage? I get having a monthly charge for customers who want unlimited calling, but if I want to simply GET A SIGNAL for the service I'm already paying for there's no reason I should have to pay anything. Just sell me the equipment and I'll be a happy customer. Not only is the carrier making $5 per month, but the network savings from having all your home calls NOT use the Sprint network is a substantial savings as well. I was planning on getting one of these for my mom whose signal is horrendious and lives in a small town Sprint will never spend the effort to improve the signal. Now, I'm just going to switch her to another carrier.

FAIL Sprint...serious FAIL

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 29th 2008 1:15PM]

This double post and last statement connect a sense of irony that insinuates you just may work for Sprint.

[dubbbya @ Jul 29th 2008 12:35PM]

that sounds like a bunch of bull crap

[Matthew @ Jul 29th 2008 12:37PM]

Or, you do as I have done: switch your phone to permanently roam and wait out your contract, then switch to a different provider.

In all seriousness, my phone drops signal in my house all the time and the only thing it has made me want to do is to switch off Sprint's service as soon as my contract is up. It would seem like they would be WAAAAY further ahead to sell/cheaply rent the box to you and give the service away for free. I might spend $100 to have guaranteed good signal, but not $100 AND an additional fee every month for something I should really be getting for free. If I invested the $100 though, I'd be more inclined to stick with Sprint after my contract is up.

[Darren @ Jul 29th 2008 12:40PM]

Great plan -- except Sprint has all but phased out phones that can do this to save on roaming charges.

For example, you can't opt to Roam Only on the Instinct. Bummer, huh?

[kal326 @ Jul 29th 2008 2:27PM]

@Matthew

How much longer do you have on your contract? Because if its a really long time like 1yr+ it makes more sense just to pay the ETF(early termination fee) and be done with it. Why continue to pay for a service that you can not use reliably. I'm not aware if there is a stipulation that would allow you out of your contract if the carrier could not provide signal. General contract law allows for such breach of contract when one part is not able to fulfill their part of the contractual obligation of services. There may be one, never hurts to check over your contract. If you can get out for free then there's no reason to continue with Sprint.

Reminds me of the new company slogan I heard proposed for Sprint. "Sprint, most of our customers already have."

[midiwall @ Jul 29th 2008 12:36PM]

Hmm... weird. I bought one of these used for about $250, works great. No monthly fee:
http://www.wi-exstore.com/MyCart/ProductDetails/67/YX510-PCS-CEL_.aspx

[mnemonicj @ Jul 29th 2008 1:13PM]

It's not the same thing that you purchased. You purchased a repeater of sorts. This Airave system connects to your home network and completes the call using the high speed Internet connection to a service that Sprint provides. This would work for people that have a Sprint phone for work, but are nowhere near a tower at home and cannot receive a signal from anywhere in the house or the property. Your device must be able to receive a signal to somewhere on your property and then it repeats it to the rest of your property.

This still does not want to make me become a Sprint customer. It seems as if Sprint has acknowledged that their network sucks, so you need to pay them more to make it better.

[Grant @ Jul 29th 2008 1:18PM]

this is actually different, this product uses your broadband connection to connect up to sprint, so you're using your cell as a VOIP phone.
What you have is a wireless repeater, which just takes whatever cell signal is in the area and repeats it more powerfully; Mouth:Megaphone as Cellphone Radio:Wireless Repeater.

[midiwall @ Jul 29th 2008 2:05PM]

Gotcha'... my bad.

[Chiefbozz @ Jul 29th 2008 12:48PM]

It's things like this that made me leave Sprint in the first place. Good riddance!

[Apreche @ Jul 29th 2008 12:56PM]

The pricing on this is pretty evil. If anything, Sprint should be paying people to install devices in their homes that increase the coverage of their network. I would gladly install such a device from AT&T, which has a dead-zone of coverage over my house, but I won't pay this kind of ludicrous pricing scheme for it.

[Danny @ Jul 29th 2008 1:00PM]

Actually, it's $14.99 for the one user unlimited and $24.99 for the multi-line unlimited.

"All customers are required to pay a $4.99 MRC/device in addition to other AIRAVE plans that may be selected."

[v3xx @ Jul 29th 2008 1:00PM]

does anyone know if i can leave at&t for poor reception? i called customer service and they said they stopped renting 10 of the closest towers to my home. now the closest tower is 20 miles away. my phone always says no service unless im away from home.

[zephxiii @ Jul 29th 2008 1:37PM]

You must live in cali, i think you can get out. They plan on rebuilding the network where coverage was lost, but this won't happen overnight.

[Conor Kirkpatrick @ Jul 29th 2008 9:49PM]

Well, if you are paying for something that they aren't providing (Cell phone service) then I would say you have every right to leave :)

[Oh4Sh0 @ Jul 29th 2008 1:07PM]

What a joke.
Sprint: "Our coverage sucks, so here - buy this and improve your signal and actually make and receive calls. Oh, by the way, you have to pay monthly fees and an upfront one."
Customer: "Why don't I just switch to verizon and not buy anything?"
Sprint: "errrm. Pay us money, dammit!"

[SirWalksAlot @ Jul 29th 2008 1:11PM]

Who the hell would pay for this? It's terrifying that anyone would be so dedicated to a single carrier that they'd rather pay hundreds extra per year.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 29th 2008 1:17PM]

Believe it or not, there are actually little hell-holes around the company that have no choice but Sprint.

[PoisonEye @ Jul 29th 2008 1:18PM]

I'm pretty sure anyone on SERO would do this if they had bad coverage. It's still way cheaper than any other carrier. Actually, isn't Sprint a bit cheaper than other carriers anyway? Whose to say you'll have good coverage with someone else?

[Janir @ Jul 29th 2008 1:19PM]

Per phonescoop comments, it's still not available until 8/17 officially. Can't seem to find anybody at Sprint support or stores that even know what a Airave device is. They keep telling me to go to tigerdirect and get a cell phone booster, which I have and I STILL haev crappy reception.

[Chad @ Jul 30th 2008 10:28AM]

What kind of cell phone booster do you have? If it isn't giving you better results than your handset alone then it sounds like the tower might be overloaded with connections. Cell phone transmitters run at less than 1 watt but a good booster will transmit at the 3 watt legally mandated limit and if you mounted the antenna outside you should have great signal strength all over your house. Are you sure you didn't get a GSM booster instead of a CDMA booster?

[C. Pom Pee @ Jul 29th 2008 1:16PM]

Honestly, this is how I see business going from here on out. This is no different from DVR that charges per month to record to a local HDD or TiVo (although some would argue about the programming aspect, but I wouldn't).

[Grant @ Jul 29th 2008 1:23PM]

it's simply renting out equiptment, companies have done this forever. The fact that it says you can "buy" it for $100 is probably 100% incorrect, you probably never own the equipment.

[Unknown @ Jul 29th 2008 1:30PM]

Seems to me that there's another more subtle use for this device.

Travelling to Europe? Want to make calls back home from your cell phone? Bring this with you and jack it into the hotel internet.

Probably a blatant violation of local laws regarding transmissions, etc., but I have a hard time believing this won't happen.

[Dead_Rebel @ Jul 29th 2008 1:43PM]

It has a GPS antenna that you have to put outside your house which tells the service if you're in/close to Sprint service. What I don't quite understand, is what do you do about people who live in GPS dead zones? I know I live in one.

[conor @ Jul 29th 2008 5:35PM]

just hack the damb thing!

[cris @ Aug 14th 2008 11:01PM]

yeah but it has a gps tracking device

[Jeff @ Jul 29th 2008 1:31PM]

the prices are a little bad, but make a lot of sense for some people.

for instance, if you make the mass majority of your calls from within your own house, you can add this and drop the amount of minutes on your plan. (add $20 or $30 a month to your plan, but drop $50 off your minutes.)

...charging more for 1 or 2 phones is weak, but i really don't see why so many people think this is useless.

If i could drop my plan to a lower minute plan (meaning even after adding this service, i'd be paying LESS per month), and have unlimited minutes within my own house, with perfect signal, and i could walk out of my house and the service would soft-switch to another signal (no calls dropped because i'm too far away from my house, that it) then this would be a pretty sweet deal.

it makes even more sense if you have 3 or 4 lines in the same house and a lot of calls being made within the house.

Unfortunately, i just switched to AT&T for the iPhone, so this news really doesn't matter at all to me.
(what i want to hear is a VOIP client for the iphone that can soft hand-off to the cell network when out of range. :)

[Kanja @ Jul 29th 2008 1:51PM]

I have a feeling that SPRINT will be using this device mainly as another tool for the retention department to hand out to customers who want to leave. I'm sure it will be free or heavily discounted for those customers.

[Chris @ Jul 29th 2008 2:24PM]

Exactly right, Kanja. I just moved and have NO signal in my house. I called Sprint and threatened to cancel. They sent me the box for free, and waived the monthly fee. I opted to add the $20 per month for the unlimited calling and reduced my plan minutes way down.

I am waiting for it to activate as we speak. Hopefully it will work well.

[Bryan @ Jul 29th 2008 2:05PM]

meh... i had sprint, had them for 5 years... moved to a differant part of town and BOOM no service....

Switched to ATT and got an Iphone and get great service... i never would have paid for this from them... if they gave it to me free i would continue to use sprint, but askign me to pay for it so i cna use their service is insane

[John @ Jul 29th 2008 2:08PM]

I called retentions and told them my service was bad. So there giving me a FREE on and NO monthly fees, and I still get unlimited minutes while using it!
I love my sprint sero plan :)

[totoro @ Jul 29th 2008 2:08PM]

Wait, it has a GPS device to make sure you don't roam outside your designated area? Kinda like those ankle bracelets they make paroled felons wear?

[Veraxus @ Jul 29th 2008 2:09PM]

Never had problems with Sprint service - but I'd love one of these for AT&T.

[bjsguess @ Jul 29th 2008 2:11PM]

Love the Sprint haters.

Please tell me where you I can sign up for this plan:

Unlimited EV-DO Rev A Data
Unlimited Text
Unlimited Minutes

Total cost = $45. That's the SERO plan + $15/month for Airrave. I get excellent coverage in my area and with Airrave will continue to do so.

Last check competitors were charging AT LEAST twice as much. Hate Sprint all you want. But for SERO customers it is the best deal in wireless hands down.

[Brian @ Jul 29th 2008 2:14PM]

But SERO isn't available for new users any more.... It was great for those who are grandfathered in, but your argument fails to consider the fact that the good ole SERO as it existed a month ago is no longer available.

[Kanja @ Jul 29th 2008 3:33PM]

Brian, you can still get SERO. You just need to find an employee willing to refer you. Since they can give out unlimited referrals it's not that hard. Try PM on the sprintusers.com forum. It worked for me.

[Jim @ Jul 30th 2008 12:06AM]

@Kanja
No, the SERO plan as we know it is gone. Now it's just a slightly discounted Everything plan.