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AT&T's 3G MicroCell site goes live
We still don't have all the details we'd like on pricing and availability, but AT&T's official 3G MicroCell site is now up and running where you can enjoy some video overviews and get a good gander at what the finished product looks like (it's way better than the version briefly shown a few months back, if you ask us). Availability of an unlimited calling add-on is confirmed here, and any calls that originate on the MicroCell before being handed off to AT&T's old-school towers will be kept completely out of your minute bucket as long as you sign up for the unlimited package. Also notable is that the carrier officially recommends placing the box near a window so that its GPS receiver can get reception -- like its cousins on Sprint and Verizon, the MicroCell includes GPS so that it can't be used out of the country. So far we're not able to find a ZIP code that works with the availability checker (including the rumored limited release markets mentioned last week), so if you get through, give us a shout. [Thanks, joe_smith55] Update: ZIP code 28201 works, though it doesn't let you see plans or buy online -- it just hooks you up with the addresses and phone numbers of nearby stores. There'll be a few calls being made in the morning, eh? Thanks, ryan0816!
AT&T's 3G MicroCell does unlimited calling, but it ain't cheap
How much would you expect to pay to cover AT&T's dead zone using your own internet bandwidth? We appreciate that these guys can't blanket every nook and cranny with HSPA, but carriers need to understand that femtocells are ultimately tools to help them retain customers who'd otherwise have to leave for greener pastures. AT&T's certainly not treating it that way with the 3G MicroCell. Let's compare: Sprint's Airave runs $4.99 a month, but they'll give it to you for free if the alternative canceling your service. Unlimited use is $10 a month. Verizon charges nothing once you buy the unit, though there's no unlimited calling option available. T-Mobile offers unlimited calling through its WiFi-based HotSpot@Home service for $9.99 a month. AT&T's going to charge $19.99 a month for unlimited use unless you've got internet or landline (ironic) service with them, in which case you'll pay $9.99. If you've got both internet and landline accounts, it's free. It's nice to have unlimited calling tacked on as an option here, but it should be exactly half as much, end of story -- and in an era where landlines are on life support (and femtocells should be helping to accelerate their demise), the triple play tie-in is wrongheaded. Of course, none of this is official just yet, but with pamphlets already circulating in retail channels, these numbers look like the real deal. A shame, isn't it? [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
AT&T launching 3G Microcell in some markets in the next few days?
Zacks Investment Research is reporting in a matter-of-fact tone that AT&T's long-rumored, long-desired 3G Microcell femtocell will be hitting some markets "in the next week." The full list of initial launch areas hasn't been disclosed, but Atlanta, San Antonio, Seattle and North Carolina are all specifically mentioned; as you might recall, Sprint restricted the launch of its Airave for some time, too, so limited availability out of the gate wouldn't really come as a surprise. AT&T had no comment when asked about the report, so it's a wait-and-see game -- but if you're clinging to one bar of service, have hope that help is on the way.
NTT DoCoMo boosts its femtocell with HSPA support for fall launch
In these United States, honest, hard-working Americans aren't asking for much -- all they really want out of life is the right to bear 7.62mm tracer ammunition, the right to patronize 24-hour burger joints, and the inalienable, immutable right to a 3G femtocell in every home. Unfortunately, T-Mobile's gone its own way with the whole UMA thing and AT&T's dragging its feet, but over in Japan, NTT DoCoMo has just announced its second-generation device, the simply (but accurately) named Enhanced Femtocell Base Station. While the outgoing model topped out at 3.6Mbps on the downlink and a measly UMTS-capped 384kbps on the uplink, the enhanced station supports full HSPA -- 14Mbps down, 5.76Mbps up (though the carrier warns that HSUPA isn't deployed just yet). It's not just about speed, though -- the new gear also supports interesting new services, including the ability to notify users when other users (for example, children) have entered the base station's range and reception of time- and location-sensitive coupons directly to phones presently attached to the cell. All this action fits into a sexy little box 5mm thinner than the version it replaces, though customers will have to wait until this fall for a retail launch.
Sprint swaggers, promises to be first to release 3G Femtocell in US
While AT&T's still claiming MicroCell will be out before the year's up, Sprint's bringing out the big words by boasting to Unstrung it'll be beating everyone to the market with its 3G femtocell solution. Company VP of device and technology development Mathew Oommen is pretty light on some of the finer details -- like actual release date, hardware supplier, pricing scheme, and pretty much every other piece of information we'd want -- but he did imply there'd be multiple options available for the CDMA EV-DO Rev. A extender, including a device more tailored for enterprise use. Look, you two can fight all you want over who gets first, but in the end, we just want our Pres and iPhones to live together and home in perfect-reception harmony -- think we can get that in time for Christmas?[Via Slashgear]
AT&T's 3G MicroCell still on track for release sometime before the end of the year
We've known the tech behind AT&T's spin on the home-based femtocell repeater since January, and in February a little iPhone update revealed that we were getting closer to prime time. Finally, news of limited trials and then... silence. AT&T has apparently been keeping its head down, diligently testing its MicroCell service, with 200 lucky subscribers having Cisco boxes beam full bars to the darkest corners of their living rooms for months, testing that has been successful enough for AT&T's Gordon Mansfield to say that it's still "on track for a full national launch." That's the good news. The bad news is that he continued by saying it'll release sometime "by the end of 2009." So, you might be in for up to six more months of dangling your iPhone out the window to get your voicemail, but hold tough -- you can make it.
magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell
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.
3GPP publishes world's first femtocell standard
With femtocells slowly but surely making their way out to the major US operators, we'd say it's about time we got a handle on what exactly these things are comprised of. This week, the world's first femtocell standard has been published by the 3GPP, which will supposedly "pave the way for standardized femtocells to be produced in large volumes and enable interoperability between different vendors' access points and femto gateways." The new protocol covers a foursome of areas: network architecture; radio & interference aspects; femtocell management / provisioning and security. For those unaware, a femtocell is a small box that essentially acts as a mini cell tower within the home, piping cellphone signals through the internet and providing great signal in areas where it was previously a struggle to nab a single bar. Now, if only we could get a few of these things in carrier-agnostic form, we'd be set.[Via PCWorld]
AT&T 3G MicroCell trials starting this week, retail in June or later?
Word on the street is that AT&T kicked off a trial of its 3G MicroCell HSPA-enabled femtocell this week, with units being delivered to signal-deprived homes on Tuesday. We've been hearing about the thing for long enough now that we would've liked to see a release, like, now -- but given that these trials are apparently expected to run through June 9, we guess we wouldn't expect to see it at retail until then, assuming everything goes well. In the meantime, participants are getting 200 bones on top of the unit itself, so color us jealous. Follow the break for AT&T's full email to testers. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
SerComm intros 3G femtocell / DSL WiFi router combo
Ubiquisys is on a serious tear here at Mobile World Congress, dishing out not one, but two partnerships in the integrated home gateway arena. If you'll recall, we already heard that said outfit has helped Netgear push out a femtocell / DSL WiFi router combo, and now it looks like SerComm will be doing likewise. Its FC210U is now readily available to deliver increased cellular coverage, WiFi and DSL services in homes, though you can bet this one's currently reserved for markets not named USA. Which is a crying shame, for the record.
Netgear to demo femtocell / WiFi router combo at MWC
Netgear and Ubiquisys have been toying with this whole femtocell residential gateway thing for years on end, but it looks like the stars are aligning for a full-scale demonstration at Mobile World Congress. For those who can't quite remember back, what we'll be seeing is an all-in-one contraption that essentially combines a femtocell with an ADSL2+ WLAN router, giving users extended cellphone range and providing traditional WiFi services in one handy box. Sadly, we aren't told where or when the DVG834GH will be released, but given just how pervasive these femtocells are becoming in America, we'd say they better hurry up and lock down a provider. Or, you know, just leave it open for us to choose.
Verizon's LTE vendor partners to be revealed at MWC
Looks like Verizon's LTE (Long Term Evolution) service might be on track to launch this year, after all. Speaking at a Digital Broadband Migration event at the University of Colorado at Boulder, executive VP and CTO Richard Lynch said the company's in the final stages of selecting vendor partners, and they'll be announced at next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. He also reiterated that service, which they've been trialing in conjunction with Vodafone, will co-exist with its current 3G platform. He said all vendors have been told that the they need to be and running this year. Hey fellas, let's not let Lynch down here.
iPhone Carrier Update hints at AT&T MicroCell coming soon
iPhone users in the US have recently been hit with a "carrier update" when they sync with their machines, and a little digging reveals that the package contains two "AT&T M-Cell" carrier logos -- suggesting that Ma Bell's upcoming MicroCell femtocell is close to launch. Still no word on how much the Cisco-sourced hardware will cost when it does arrive and we're still not super-stoked on the idea of paying a monthly fee to improve AT&T's own service, but if you've been patiently waiting to take matters into your own hands, we'd guess you'll be rewarded soon. [Via TUAW]
Details on AT&T's 3G MicroCell: everything but the date and price
T-Mobile has HotSpot @Home, Sprint has AIRAVE, and Verizon has its Wireless Network Extender, leaving just AT&T among the States' big four carriers without a launched WiFi or femtocell solution for extending signals into the home -- but it looks like that's finally getting close to changing. We know that they've been in the process of trialing some units recently, and tipsters have observed that there's now a pretty slick site launched on AT&T's domain for its 3G MicroCell, an indication that they might be looking to go retail eventually. There's quite a bit of detail here; from the picture, we can make out that the unit comes from Cisco (versus Samsung for Sprint and Verizon), and like its competitors, the MicroCell will require a broadband connection to operate. It'll cover up to 5,000 square feet, allow up to four simultaneous voice or data connections (locked down so that your neighbors can't pilfer the signal), and most interestingly, will only work with 3G phones. We've heard that femtocells are more difficult to manage in a 2G GSM environment than in CDMA and WCDMA -- hence the 3G requirement -- but the cells offered by Sprint and Samsung only offer 2G coverage, so AT&T's arguably got an advantage here. We still don't know exactly when this is coming or for how much dough, but the site makes mention of a "3G MicroCell service plan," so we'd count on a fee for the pleasure of extending AT&T's network on their behalf. Follow the break for AT&T's full rundown of the device.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon gets official with Network Extender: $249, no monthly fees
Right on cue, Verizon has launched its very own femtocell into the world: the Network Extender. For those unfamiliar, this here box connects to one's broadband internet connection and essentially acts as a mini cell tower right in the home. In other words, it'll make your at-home VZW coverage absolutely amazing. Unlike Sprint's AIRAVE, though, there are absolutely no monthly fees attached -- simply plunk down $249.99 up front and watch your signal improve. As for limitations, you can only use this within the Verizon Wireless Enhanced Services coverage area (read: not overseas), and there's no support for EV-DO data speeds or Location Based Services such as VZ Navigator and Chaperone. It's available now for ordering online or over the phone, and all the nitty-gritty details are covered in the FAQ section linked below. So, AT&T -- you're next, right?[Thanks, Anonymous]
Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25
Sprint had the jump on this by a few months with its AIRAVE, but Verizon's not far behind in bringing femotcells to the masses with its less-elegantly-named Wireless Network Extender later this month on the 25th. The little black box will puke out a cloud of CDMA covering up to 5,000 square feet of domicile with support for up to three simultaneous calls -- enough for you, the hubby / missus, and little Joey / Susie to all be yapping away at the same time. Like Sprint's solution, the Wireless Network Extender uses GPS to verify that you're not creating little tiny Verizon networks in Laos, Kenya, or Uruguay and plugs into the internet source of your choice via Ethernet. It'll be available in Verizon stores and online starting January 25 for $249.99 -- not a bad deal for Verizon, considering you're saving them the expense of erecting a tower.%Gallery-42579%
Survey suggests AT&T still hard at work on femtocell offering
There are apparently sorta maybe femtocell trials already underway on AT&T -- somewhere, with somebody -- but we certainly don't have one on our hearth, and we suspect you don't either. Sprint got way out ahead of the pack on the outsource-our-infrastructure-costs-to-the-consumer trend by popping out the Airave a while back, but other carriers have failed to respond in a timely fashion, despite the pressing need to get more bars into the deepest, darkest corners of our homes and offices. For what it's worth, though, AT&T seems to still have femtocells somewhere on the front burner with surveys going out to subscribers asking whether they'd be interested in a "small, security-enabled cellular base station" they can call their own. If it were up to us, they'd get a few thousand "very interested" responses, but hey, we didn't receive the survey, now did we?[Thanks, Andrew J.]
Singapore's StarHub launches first commercial 3G femtocell service
Generally speaking, when cable providers offer up "triple-play" packages, that third leg is a digital phone that acts as a standalone landline. Singapore's StarHub has a better idea, and it's calling it Home Zone. Hailed as the first commercial 3G femtocell service, the setup puts a MaxOnline-enabled router (free on loan) in the home "so that users can make voice and video calls and send SMS over StarHub's cable network from their mobile phones." Any 3G phone is compatible, and up to four calls can be made simultaneously on a single box. Moreover, all outgoing local voice calls, video calls and SMS are free, though the Home Zone subscription will run customers $30 per month -- unless they get in prior to the start of '09, which will give them half off for the next twelve months. Better hurry, too, as the whole shebang is only available to the first 200 customers at present time.[Via RCRWireless]
Dick Lynch: Verizon's LTE rollout to launch next year, not 2010
After winning purchasing spectrum in the 700MHz FCC auction, we were all a little disappointed to hear that we'd have to wait until the year 2010 for high-speed LTE networks to launch (widescale deployments coming later) on both Verizon and AT&T. In a surprise, seemingly off-the-cuff statement made Tuesday at Cisco's C-Scape conference, Verizon's unfortunately named executive VP and CTO, Dick Lynch, said, "We expect that LTE will actually be in service somewhere here in the U.S. probably this time next year." Lynch also said that Verizon plans to coordinate the rollout of femtocell base stations (likely with WiFi) to extend the signal indoors -- something that shouldn't be too difficult since LTE will be riding the old home-penetrating 700MHz analog TV signal. With LG demonstrating 60Mbps download speeds on the world's first LTE chips for cellphones and data cards yesterday, consider us packed and ready to move to the first city VZW lights up. [Via PhoneScoop]
AT&T planning femtocell trial later this year
Say it ain't so! We can only imagine that there are quite a few folks out there who will be absolutely elated to hear this news, so we'll get right to it: a femtocell is (likely) coming to AT&T. Nah, we haven't spied any in the wild shots of a rumored box or anything, but a carrier spokeswoman admitted to Unstrung that "as the nation's leading provider of both wireless and broadband, it makes sense that we would examine the potential benefits of femtocells for our customers." Better still, she continued by affirming that it was "currently doing testing in its labs and a trial [was] planned for later this year." Aside from that, we've no real details to pore over, but all we really needed to know has been said. Sprint and Verizon won't be the only providers offering up an in-home mini cell tower, and we'd say this can't possibly come soon enough for AT&Ters sitting squarely in a fringe coverage area.[Via Brighthand, image courtesy of 3G]
