Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[MagicJack's femtocell misses its launch date, still hasn't been submitted to the FCC for approval]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/25/magicjacks-femtocell-misses-its-launch-date-still-hasnt-been/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/25/magicjacks-femtocell-misses-its-launch-date-still-hasnt-been/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/25/magicjacks-femtocell-misses-its-launch-date-still-hasnt-been/#comments Wondering about the fate of the MagicJack femtocell now that its promised second quarter launch window has passed? So was Computerworld, and what it found out isn't exactly promising for the as-seen-on-TV company. According to a MagicJack spokesperson, it's taken longer than expected to finish the software and patents associated with the product, which means it still hasn't even been able to submit the device to the FCC for approval. The company says the software should be done within two weeks, however, but that still means a wait time of several more months while the FCC does its thing. Of course, that's to say nothing of the many legal problems facing the device, which MagicJack is unsurprisingly not commenting on -- although it insists the device will be available "this year."

MagicJack's femtocell misses its launch date, still hasn't been submitted to the FCC for approval originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fccfemtocellmagicjackmagicjack femtocellMagicjackFemtocellSun, 25 Jul 2010 06:04:00 EST<![CDATA[MagicJack femtocell sure to face legal battle royale]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/12/magicjack-femtocell-sure-to-face-legal-battle-royale/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/12/magicjack-femtocell-sure-to-face-legal-battle-royale/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/12/magicjack-femtocell-sure-to-face-legal-battle-royale/#comments Despite MagicJack's official announcement last week of an in-home femtocell for connecting carriers' phones directly to its service, tons of questions remain -- including most of the questions we had when we first heard of the idea. Let's recap those questions and where we stand with each of them, shall we?
  • Are these guys licensing spectrum from the gub'mint, sublicensing it from carriers, or just going rogue? Going rogue. Historically, this usually ends in an FCC-mandated shutdown -- and since both carriers and the CTIA will undoubtedly be throwing a fit that some company is stealing pricey spectrum for its own purposes, we're sure the pressure on the government to act will be quite high.
  • Are any carriers in on this, and if so, why? Nope, none. The company says that "if they were smart they would take [it] on as a partner, because all [it] could do is enhance the value they create for their customer," but presently, MagicJack's all alone.
  • If carriers aren't involved, why would they establish roaming deals that would allow carrier-branded phones and SIMs to roam on MagicJack's rogue airwaves? As far as we can tell, they aren't on any roaming deals.
  • If they're not working on roaming deals, the femtocells will need to spoof a carrier ID. Furthermore, TDMA femtocells are virtually impossible to design and install for technical reasons, which means these would have to be 3G. So MagicJack's going to offer a UMTS femtocell? It appears to be a plain-Jane GSM femtocell, which is technically interesting considering what we've heard in the past about effectively making a TDMA unit that plays nice with the surrounding network. Considering everything else we know, though, it probably doesn't play nice -- and without a roaming deal in place, they'll need to spoof. That's going to rile up both carriers and the GSMA.
  • Do you get to keep your phone number when you roam on the MagicFemtocell, and if so, how? For incoming calls, probably not, unless you forward to the MagicJack number.
Needless to say, both the carriers and the feds are going to have a lot to say about this product -- particularly considering that it hasn't even received FCC approval yet. If it keeps marching toward retail, we could be gearing up for one of the most entertaining legal battles of the year.

MagicJack femtocell sure to face legal battle royale originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>femtocellmagicjackmagicjack femtocellMagicjackFemtocellTue, 12 Jan 2010 13:23:00 EST<![CDATA[MagicJack makes a femtocell, might make that advertising worth hearing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/magicjack-makes-a-femtocell-might-make-that-advertising-worth-h/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/magicjack-makes-a-femtocell-might-make-that-advertising-worth-h/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/magicjack-makes-a-femtocell-might-make-that-advertising-worth-h/#commentshttp://www.websitement-tm.com/z_websitement/images/Magic-Jack/Magic-Jack-Logo-Sm.jpgFemtocells now offer cell phone service for $1.70 a month with MagicJack! That's just $19.95 a year. $19.95 a year! MagicJack's femtocell works with mobile phones "potentially" from any carrier, though only GSM is mentioned. Apparently just coming within eight feet connects your phone to the femtocell, after which you can supposedly travel anywhere you like in the house. Calls through the femtocell won't use your minutes. Replace your phone company or get a second line, with MagicJack!

Continue reading MagicJack makes a femtocell, might make that advertising worth hearing

MagicJack makes a femtocell, might make that advertising worth hearing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesces 2010Ces2010femtocellmagicjackwirelessFri, 08 Jan 2010 04:29:00 EST<![CDATA[magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/#comments
It's been revealed that perennial SkyMall and late-night TV favorite magicJack has a bunch of new features in the works for its low-cost, USB-bedongled VoIP service including landline number portability and Linux compatibility, but that's not the real news -- what's got us all worked up is word that they're allegedly working on a GSM-based femtocell that'll hook your cellphone into magicJack's service when it's in range. Even better, it all fits into a box "just a little bigger" than the current USB stick, which would make it considerably smaller than any femtocell we've seen launched so far. We're not sure whether these guys have bothered consulting with the FCC or carriers on this, but we've got dozens of questions:

  • Are these guys licensing spectrum from the gub'mint, sublicensing it from carriers, or just going rogue?
  • Are any carriers in on this, and if so, why?
  • If carriers aren't involved, why would they establish roaming deals that would allow carrier-branded phones and SIMs to roam on magicJack's rogue airwaves?
  • If they're not working on roaming deals, the femtocells will need to spoof a carrier ID -- never mind the fact that TDMA femtocells are virtually impossible to design and install for technical reasons, which means these would have to be 3G. So magicJack's going to offer a UMTS femtocell?
  • Do you get to keep your phone number when you roam on the magicFemtocell, and if so, how?

Helluva mess, isn't it? We're sure we'll eventually be able to find out the answers -- and a whole lot more for just one low price -- in a few months' time at 2 in the morning on your local Ion affiliate.

Filed under:

magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>femtocellmagicjackWed, 22 Apr 2009 15:48:00 EST<![CDATA[magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/magicjack-working-with-magicfcc-and-magiccarriers-on-magicfemtoc/#comments
It's been revealed that perennial SkyMall and late-night TV favorite magicJack has a bunch of new features in the works for its low-cost, USB-bedongled VoIP service including landline number portability and Linux compatibility, but that's not the real news -- what's got us all worked up is word that they're allegedly working on a GSM-based femtocell that'll hook your cellphone into magicJack's service when it's in range. Even better, it all fits into a box "just a little bigger" than the current USB stick, which would make it considerably smaller than any femtocell we've seen launched so far. We're not sure whether these guys have bothered consulting with the FCC or carriers on this, but we've got dozens of questions:

  • Are these guys licensing spectrum from the gub'mint, sublicensing it from carriers, or just going rogue?
  • Are any carriers in on this, and if so, why?
  • If carriers aren't involved, why would they establish roaming deals that would allow carrier-branded phones and SIMs to roam on magicJack's rogue airwaves?
  • If they're not working on roaming deals, the femtocells will need to spoof a carrier ID -- never mind the fact that TDMA femtocells are virtually impossible to design and install for technical reasons, which means these would have to be 3G. So magicJack's going to offer a UMTS femtocell?
  • Do you get to keep your phone number when you roam on the magicFemtocell, and if so, how?

Helluva mess, isn't it? We're sure we'll eventually be able to find out the answers -- and a whole lot more for just one low price -- in a few months' time at 2 in the morning on your local Ion affiliate.

Filed under: ,

magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>femtocellgsmmagicjackmobileperipheralsWed, 22 Apr 2009 15:48:00 EST