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Verizon Wireless to launch its own Samsung Ubicell
We figured it was only a matter of time before someone else took Samsung up on its offer of a branded Ubicell for their network, and it seems as if Verizon Wireless will be calling the two spot. After Sprint launched the CDMA femtocell (dubbed AIRAVE) for users with lackluster service at home, the unit was widely regarded as amazing, magnificent and just downright stupendous. According to a new filing with the FCC, Verizon is hoping to provide those same wonderful emotions to its own customers who are already frustrated with dropped calls and terrible service at home. Obviously, there's no mention of a price or release date, but judging by the user manual, installation and operation will be exactly the same -- and yes, that means it won't operate without a GPS lock proving that you're currently situated in America. Now, if only a universal GSM version were right around the bend, we'd be pleased as punch.[Via CellPhone Signal]
Motorola shows off femtocell-in-a-digiframe concept
After personally trying out Sprint's AIRAVE, we're confident that femtocells have a place in this world. Thankfully, Motorola's already trying to make them less of an eyesore by integrating a CDMA femtocell into something we wouldn't mind showing off in the den: an inconspicuous digital photo frame. The "3-in-1" concept also includes a VoIP soft phone that would theoretically enable calls to be made right from the frame. Of course, Moto's not handing out any sort of release time frame, but let us be the first to say that this thing needs to hit store shelves on the double -- just make sure it's not carrier specific, and toss in a GSM version while you're at it, okay Moto? Check out the demonstration vid after the break.[Thanks, Dave]
How's that Sprint AIRAVE working out for you?
So, you took the plunge and forked over a Benjamin (or just kvetched loudly enough to a CSR) and ended up with a Sprint AIRAVE, huh? Now that you've had a few weeks to test it out in your abode, we're interested to know if it has met and / or exceeded expectations. Head on over to this week's episode of How Would You Change to speak your mind.
How would you change Sprint's AIRAVE?
Now that Sprint's AIRAVE has been on sale (nationwide, that is) for nearly a month, we're curious to know if it has lived up to your expectations. We'll admit -- it definitely lived up to ours, but we can still think of a few things we'd like to see different. Would you too enjoy being able to use this thing abroad? Is the 3-call (simultaneous) limit too tight for you? Do you wish your EV-DO data was piped through this thing as well? Oh, and does the pricing scheme set well with you? Let us know just how you're enjoying (or not) that fresh new femtocell in comments below.
Sprint AIRAVE review
It's not that Sprint's AIRAVE is minty fresh -- as a matter of fact, individuals in Indianapolis and Denver were able to pick one up last September -- but the device is brand new to the rest of the nation. The long-awaited CDMA femtocell (once dubbed the Samsung Ubicell) essentially acts as a super in-house signal booster, or, if you'd prefer, a mini Sprint tower sitting right beside your router. If the concept is ringing a bell, it's because you've certainly seen a similar setup with T-Mobile's @Home service. So, the real question here is can the AIRAVE really help your reception? And more importantly, is it worth the extra coin? Read on to find out.
Unboxing and hands-on with Sprint's AIRAVE femtocell
Sprint's AIRAVE signal booster isn't officially on sale nationwide just yet (August 17th, for those curious), but for those anxious to pull the trigger (or merely mulling the decision), we've got a few hands-on shots to whet your appetite. So, where are they? Why, over at Engadget Mobile, that's where! Keep an eye out for a review to pop shortly.
Unboxing and hands-on: Sprint's AIRAVE femtocell
Sprint's AIRAVE signal booster isn't officially on sale nationwide just yet (August 17th, for those curious), but for those anxious to pull the trigger (or merely mulling the decision), we've got a few hands-on shots to whet your appetite. The Samsung-made CDMA femtocell arrived at our doorstep today, and the packaging is about what you'd expect from Sprint: yellow, a hint of white, and more yellow. The device itself isn't too unwieldy, and it's certainly on the light side. There's definitely a port for hooking up a GPS antenna to keep users from taking this abroad and dialing up internationally (understandable, but what a bummer!), and everything else is pretty much par for the course. We'll be taking this thing for a spin here in a Sprint dead zone to see if it really lives up to the hype, but until then, feel free to peruse the gallery below. %Gallery-29418%
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.
Sprint's Airave signal booster in the wild, on sale nationwide this month?
Considering that the last time Sprint's Airave was even relevant was when a smattering of folks bought one in Denver and Indianapolis, like, last September, here's a quick refresher on what this thing does. Similar to T-Mobile @home, this box plugs into one's broadband connection and essentially acts as a mini cell tower within your house, which will certainly make folks in a fringe zone with no option for Roam Only (feel our pain, Instinct owners?) quite happy. For whatever reason, the carrier has dilly-dallied around with this thing forever, and even if whispers prove true and it launches on July 15th for $99 (on top of a monthly fee for unlimited minutes, we hear), we have to wonder if anyone will even bite. Two more shots in the read link.
Having yet to make a 3G impact, femtocell makers already looking to 4G
We're still waiting for our little ol' 3G femtocell around these parts; only Sprint has put any serious effort into bringing a unit to market with its Airave from Samsung, but even they're restricting it to just a couple markets at this point (lame). Be that as it may, the Femto Forum -- an industry group promoting the tech -- is already pushing ahead into the LTE and WiMAX realms with the hope of being "ready from day one." To that end, it has teamed up with the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance to make sure everyone's on the same page about how femtocells can and should be use in 4G networks. That's all well and good, and we're definitely glad these guys are on top of things, but can we just pause for one hot second and get a few more 3G cells in customers' hands, please?
Vodafone Station brings FMC service to Italy
Truth be told, Fixed Mobile Convergence still isn't talked about much (comparatively speaking) 'round these parts. Yeah, we've seen a few FMC routers scattered about, but Vodafone's taking a stand by rolling out its Station in Italy. The box, which was developed in cooperation with Huawei, is an integrated switch / router with ADSL2+, WiFi, UMTS / HSPA (via a removable USB key) and four Ethernet ports. Essentially, it's designed to combine voice with fixed and mobile broadband services, and it enables users to make calls on their handset through a fixed line connection when they're kicking back at home. We're also hearing that the device will eventually make its way to other Vodafone markets, but there's been no word yet on future rollout dates.[Via GigaOM]
$100 femtocells to be sold by AT&T?
Yep, we're mandating that this one be filed in the rumor folder for now, but according to a report from ThinkPanmure, AT&T Mobility is planning to move up to 7 million femtocells acquired from UK-based ip.access. As the story goes, AT&T inked a contract with the aforesaid firm for up to half a billion dollars in femtocells over five years, and it's supposedly aiming to sell each to end users for "as little as $100." As expected, spokespeople for AT&T and ip.access weren't around / didn't care to comment on the matter, but a dame from the former did admit that it was "examining the potential benefits of femtocells through lab tests and planned to conduct a trial later this year." Of course, AT&T wouldn't be the first US carrier to offer the boxes, but it's not like Sprint's $49.99 Airave set any sales records or anything when it launched late last year.
O2, Vodafone both working on 3G femtocell trials
Femtocells may be one of the closest things we have to a win / win in the wireless industry, lowering infrastructure costs for carriers and giving customers on-demand, self-installable coverage where they wouldn't have it otherwise, all without requiring WiFi-capable handsets that UMA services like T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home do. It makes sense that a number of carriers would be rushing to get femtocells into end users' hands, then, and both O2 and Vodafone are doing exactly that in separate European trials. O2's trial involves NEC equipment in the UK, while Vodafone is turning to Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent to supply hardware to Spanish testers. Both trials involve 3G cells (yay!) and at least O2 has gone on record saying that a successful test will lead to commercialization by early next year. Kinda strange that Sprint is so far ahead of the curve on this one, but hey, do you see us complaining?Read - NEC and O2 trial femtocells in the UKRead - Vodafone Group trials 3G femtocell technology
Netgear and Motorola get busy on femtocell tech
We're not going to say that femtocell technology is "all the rage" right now, but we will admit that we're seeing some real players get into the game. If you've been wondering when these unicorn-like devices were going to start making their way into the real world, you can finally get some answers. With Mobile World Congress coming up soon, a number of new products and services centered around the signal-proliferating technology are being announced, including a handful of entries from Netgear and collaborators, as well as new products from Motorola. Check the press releases below and learn all about it. Remember, knowing is half the battle.Read - NETGEAR and Kineto Wireless To Showcase 3G Femto Home Access Solution at Mobile World Congress Read - NETGEAR and Nokia Siemens Networks Collaborate on 3G Femto Home Access SolutionRead - NEC and NETGEAR Team to Develop an Integrated 3G Access Point for Femtocell SolutionRead - Motorola Announces Family of Femtocell Solutions
Motorola's femtocell tests a success, let the trial begin
Busy times for the people over at Motorola, as new cells seems to be dropping at all the majors lately. Yesterday's announcement featured news that Moto's femtocell end to end testing is complete and that the trials are now set to begin. Femtocells, once called Access Point Base Stations are said to be set to turn the 3G world on its ear with improved access and better pricing -- we''ll believe that when we see it, at least the pricing bit -- while in areas covered by them. From a provider's point of view costs are reduced by having a simplified -- in an UMTS installation, the Node-B, RNC, and GSN -- in one package using wired broadband for connectivity. We'd love to be in on the testing, but it seems that honor has been reserved for a "major European operator" and not for the team at Engadget Mobile.
Sprint Airave signal booster goes on sale today -- in Denver and Indy
Remember that cool Ubicell in-home booster we played with back at CTIA? Sprint's finally starting to roll out the device this week as the "Airave" in "select areas" of Denver and Indianapolis this week. Overall, the concept is very similar to T-Mobile's @Home service -- it connects through your ISP, racks up a monthly fee ($15 in this case, $30 for families), boosts your signal and doesn't deduct plan minutes -- but with the Airave, CDMA signals are served up instead of @Home's WiFi, which means any Sprint handset should work like a champ. The box itself runs $49.99, not a bad entry fee considering the healthy list of benefits it affords. Look for it in the rest of Denver and Indy along with Nashville later this year followed by a nationwide rollout in 2008.
Netgear, Ubiquisys develop femtocell residential gateway
It wouldn't be too surprising to see a networking firm and a developer of intelligent 3G femtocell access points work in harmony to crank out a dazzling all-in-one contraption, and it looks like Netgear and Ubiquisys have done just that. Aiming to simultaneously enable mobile operators to provide enhanced cellular coverage in the home and allow consumers to access and control a range of home networking services via standard 3G handsets, the two have joined forces to stuff Ubiquisys' ZoneGate into future Netgear WAPs. The currently unnamed solution will reportedly pack an integrated DSL modem, WiFi, VoIP, and 3G femtocell technology into a single box, and while it's not scheduled to go commercial until early next year at best, operator testing should go live by Q4 of 2007.
Hands-on with the Samsung Ubicell
While we're all patiently waiting for UMA to go national (any carrier want to step up to the plate here?), Samsung's taking a decidedly different approach to mobile VoIP with its Ubicell product unveiled this week. Carriers are apparently keen on embracing it, too, with Sprint planning on offering it later this year at a to-be-determined price. We had a chance to check it out this morning, and it looks decent enough; it's reasonably small and it won't stand out in most decor (especially if you can just set it next to your wireless router). The craziest feature might be the integrated GPS that -- get this -- locks you out if you try to get all clever and take the Ubicell outside of US territory. In other words, Sprint has no interest running a femtocell in, say, Madagascar. Gallery: Hands-on with the Samsung Ubicell
