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AT&T offering free MicroCells to top 7.5 percent of customers 'likely to experience poor in-building coverage'
We've known that AT&T has been test-marketing free 3G MicroCells to subscribers with particularly awful reception in certain parts of the country since the product launched last year, but as of January 23rd, they're codifying the offer and taking it nationwide. Bottom line: the "top 7.5 percent of 3G wireless customers identified as likely to experience poor in-building coverage at home or in small offices" will be receiving some snail mail with a discount code; bring it into an AT&T store and you'll be offered a gratis MicroCell. There's a catch, though -- you need to agree to a one-year contract on the unit (separate from your normal account contract), so if you cancel service within that year, you need to either return the MicroCell or get charged $199.99 minus $16.67 per month that you've had it. Of course, that lines up with the newly-increased MicroCell price that the carrier is instituting starting this Sunday. Considering that AT&T needs to acknowledge that you're in a terrible reception area to get it, we can't say we'd hope to be one of the "lucky" 7.5 percent -- but it's a nice benefit nonetheless.
AT&T tweaking messaging plans, killing some upgrade discounts, raising fees and MicroCell pricing
How on Earth have Verizon and AT&T both decided to kill off their upgrade discount programs within a few days of each other? Hard to say, but we've gotten a little peek at some new policies designed to "streamline" things that are apparently coming into effect next Sunday, January 23rd -- and very few (if any) of them are going to bring a smile to your face. Here's the gist: There'll be a new text package of 1,000 messages for $10 with overage at 10 cents apiece. This compares to 5 cents at the 1,500 / $15 level and 10 cents at the 200 / $5 level. Speaking of those other text packages, they're going away. Both the 200 and 1,500 text plans are goners. Obviously, if you're already on them, you shouldn't be affected -- you just won't be able to select them for new plans or changes anymore. Early upgrade pricing on new iPhones -- the standard subsidized price plus $200 -- will only be available six months into an existing iPhone activation. $50 and $100 discounts on top of subsidized pricing for upgrading customers -- similar to Verizon's recently-killed New Every Two program -- are going away. If you're currently eligible, you'll still be eligible to take advantage through July 23rd of this year. Family plan add-a-line activation is increasing $10 to $36. International voice roaming prices are changing in 117 countries. That's a lot of countries! We're assuming most of those rates are going up, not down, though we don't have details at this point. Calling to Canada is going from 29 cents per minute to 39 cents. The 3G MicroCell is increasing in price from $149.99 to $199.99, which seems like a really bizarre move to us -- hard to say what the motivation is there. Certain "pre-selected" customers will still receive special discount offers for it in the mail, though. Check out full details on the changes in the gallery below. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] %Gallery-114713%
Rumor: AT&T giving 3G MicroCells to long-standing customers
Engadget is reporting that one of its readers, Jason, received a letter from AT&T offering him a free 3G MicroCell with no strings attached. He brought the letter to the store and sure enough it was honored, even thought the sales team was baffled as to why he got it. The letter addresses Jason as one of their "most valuable customers." Jason also notes that his contract is about to expire, and he's got a few iPhones on a family plan. It sounds to us that, much like a lovelorn teen about to lose his girlfriend, AT&T is pulling out all the stops to keep a floundering relationship alive. Rumors about a Verizon-powered iPhone have buzzed about like annoying mosquitos almost since the iPhone's introduction. The most recent points at January of 2011, though your guess is as good as ours. If you're among AT&T's "most valuable customers," monitor your mailbox for an orange envelope. And if you score one of these things, let us know.
AT&T handing out free 3G MicroCells to loyal customers? (update: it's a market trial)
While we've no clue how widespread AT&T's generosity is, or how you might get one, it appears that the company's "most valuable customers" are now receiving free range-boosting femtocells. Today, loyal reader Jason got a old-fashioned paper letter in the mail, offering his iPhone-wielding family a 3G MicroCell with no strings attached. Driving down to the local AT&T store, he got the product, but the dumbfounded reps offered no explanation why. Though his calls do frequently drop at home, Jason says he wasn't terribly vocal about the issue and only pays around $180 per month for his family plan -- the only thing that might possibly qualify him, in his opinion, is that his contract was set to expire. We've reached out to AT&T for more information; in the meanwhile, see Jason's letter after the break. [Thanks, Jason] Update: We're being told that AT&T is currently in the process of trialling different ways of offering the MicroCell, which is why a handful of customers have received this letter. We suspect you're always going to get positive reactions when you're offering something for free... but maybe we're crazy.
AT&T 3G MicroCell now available in all markets
Completing a phased roll-out that kicked off back in April, AT&T has finally gotten around to launching its 3G MicroCell in all of its markets, giving the entire customer base some flexibility when "more bars in more places" doesn't happen to include your place. Interestingly, the announcement was made in passing during comments by AT&T director Gordon Mansfield at the Femtocells World Summit in London this week, where he spent much of his time trying to quell a minor furor over the carrier's continued application of data caps when using the MicroCell. He makes some pretty strong arguments: even though all MicroCell voice and data traffic starts off traveling over your own internet connection, it ultimately ends up within AT&T's core infrastructure -- and a legal requirement that the carrier be able to intercept traffic for law enforcement use prevents it from diverting that traffic elsewhere. More importantly, though, if you're within range of a MicroCell, odds are very good that you're also within range of a WiFi connection -- and since all of AT&T's data-heavy handsets offer WiFi, the whole complaint is kinda moot. So just get one if you need one and don't worry about it, okay?
AT&T MicroCell brings more bars, but at a cost
Sadly, I'm one of the poor souls who has close to zero cell coverage in my house. It's partly the way my home is constructed, and partly because the city fathers in the area I live in are going real slow about approving new cell towers. The result is that I usually have one bar displayed on my iPhone, but as soon as I try to make a call, that bar disappears and I wind up in cell phone hell. AT&T has an answer, but it is a bit pricey. It's called the AT&T 3G MicroCell. It's not a cellphone repeater, but instead a device that plugs into your router and then gets you voice and data just as if you have a cell tower in your house. It gives me five bars anywhere in the house and yard, which pretty much completely solves my reception issues. [It may not work for you; TJ points out that AT&T doesn't support the MicroCell over satellite connections. –Ed.] We had a runthrough of the MicroCell when guest blogger Murphy Mac put it through its paces in 2009; my take on the device follows here. Read on!
AT&T Palm Pre Plus and 3G MicroCell available nationwide on May 16 (update: not quite nationwide)
You've waited long enough AT&T customers. So long that the Palm Pre is now the Palm Pre Plus and Palm, well, isn't even Palm anymore. But you just never mind all that, what's important is that AT&T subscribers will finally have dibs on the Palm Pre Plus starting May 16th, nationwide. No mention of a free 3G mobile hotspot capability like that offered by Verizon, but you will have free access to AT&T's 20k-strong network of fixed hotspots. Now we just need a price -- an interesting dilemma after VZW lowered the PPP to just $30 on contract. Our tipster also tells us that AT&T will be rolling out its 3G MicroCell from coast-to-coast on the same day. Makes sense since AT&T already gave us a mid-April date for its little signal boosting wonder. [Thanks, D.] Update: We just spoke to AT&T about this whole ordeal; they wouldn't confirm or deny the Pre Plus situation, but we were told that there's "no change" in the MicroCell plans -- May 16 won't be a nationwide rollout, and there will be more rollouts in the weeks after.
AT&T 3G MicroCell available in some unlaunched markets, if you try hard enough
I've personally been following the launch of AT&T's 3G MicroCell very, very closely; I moved last year into a box surrounded on three sides by foot-thick cement (not much of an exaggeration) in which only Verizon's and T-Mobile's signals were able to penetrate without assistance -- and in my position, it's a non-negotiable requirement that I be able to use devices from all four US nationals. Since the announcement a few weeks back that the MicroCell would be going national, I've been practically bombarding my Chicago-area stores with calls, looking for a hint of detail on when they might be available here; they've already launched in New York City, so AT&T clearly isn't concerned about using them in densely-packed urban areas. This weekend I called four stores, and here's what I got: Store 1: "We're supposed to have them in a couple of weeks." Store 2: "We'll have them on May 6." Store 3: "We have them in stock. Oh, hold on a minute. (long pause) I'm sorry, we're not allowed to sell them until the 10th." Store 4: "Yes, we have them in stock." In other words, there was no shortage of variety in sales reps' stories. I don't know how this happens -- it's conceivable that AT&T really is telling each store something entirely different, but it seems far more likely that these guys simply haven't been effectively educated on what's going on here. At any rate, I was able to march down to the fourth store I called and pick up the MicroCell with no hassles, therefore ending a many month-long personal nightmare of mine (and by the way, the device works just wonderfully). The lesson learned? Even if the MicroCell hasn't launched in your market -- that is, you go to AT&T's MicroCell site and it tells you it's not yet available in your zip code -- be persistent and keep calling around. You've just got to find that one sales guy who's willing to flip it.
AT&T 3G MicroCell starting nationwide roll-out in mid-April
Unless you've been in one of a few key test markets, you've been pretty much out of luck boosting your AT&T signal in the comfortable confines of your home since the 3G MicroCell first launched -- until now. Starting in the middle of next month in a deployment that spans "several" months, customers across the country should expect to see MicroCells pop up in their local regions. The device itself will run a one-time fee of $149.99 before a $100 mail-in rebate (when purchased with a "3G MicroCell calling plan," though we don't yet know what that constitutes). Separately, there'll be a $19.99 plan bolt-on that offers unlimited calling when connected to the device -- and anyone tacking on a new U-verse or DSL line of 1.5Mbps or higher will get another $50 rebate. It's not the end of AT&T's spectrum or backhaul concerns, we're sure, but it's a start. Update: We've just clarified -- the $19.99 bolt-on is the only one that's relevant for the $100 rebate; there are no other dedicated MicroCell calling plans, so that should make it a little easier to bring down the net cost of the unit since you don't have to change into another base plan.
AT&T rolling out MicroCell to five more markets
We've previously written about AT&T's MicroCell device and service here at TUAW. It's a tiny cell tower that you plug into your home cable or DSL connection to boost your phone reception. This is particularly handy for those with home offices who may currently be plagued with poor reception on their iPhones. WMExperts is reporting that AT&T is adding five more markets to the short list of trial areas. If you live in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Las Vegas, or San Diego, you can have the opportunity to spend an additional US$19.99 per month on top of your existing iPhone service plan to get 5 bar service in an area up to 5,000 square feet around your MicroCell. To determine whether or not you're currently in one of the target zones for the service, visit the AT&T 3G MicroCell website and enter your zip code into the appropriate spot. If you're one of the lucky ones, a list of retail locations where you can purchase the MicroCell will appear. You'll also have to pony up $150 for the device in addition to the monthly charge, but for those who really need perfect 3G phone service in their homes or offices, it's worth the cost. [via TiPb]
AT&T announces expanded availability of 3G MicroCell
It may not be the news that folks in some particularly problematic areas have been waiting for, but AT&T has now announced that it's finally expanded availability of its 3G MicroCell beyond its initial testbed cities like Raleigh and Charlotte. The new markets apparently include some additional areas of North Carolina, along with new parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and San Diego, plus the addition of Las Vegas -- the only entirely-new market of the bunch. Hit up the link below to punch in your zipcode for exact availability, and all the necessary details to get "five bars in your own home." And if you're curious about exactly what this whole femtocell thing is about, be sure to check out our impressions of the device. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AT&T to offer 'incentives' to customers willing to limit data usage
AT&T exec #1: You know, our network's really getting slammed with all these people using their unlimited data plans to download things and do stuff online all the time. Any ideas how we can fix it? AT&T exec #2: We could put out more WiFi hotspots. People seem to use those. Sometimes. AT&T exec #1: Sure, but that's not going to make a dent in places like New York City. I mean, have you used an iPhone there? AT&T exec #2: We have these things called MicroCells that people can use at home, if they live in North Carolina. Maybe more people could use those? AT&T exec #1: Yeah, that's good. But people like to use their cellphones outside their house too. What happens then? AT&T exec #2: Well, what if we offered customers incentives to use less data? AT&T exec #1: Now you're talking! What sort of incentives could get them to do that? AT&T exec #2: Hmm.... Well, readers, are there any incentives that would get you to use less data? Feel free to offer your suggestions for AT&T in the comments below. And don't worry about actually paying more for data (yet, anyway), as AT&T 's Ralph de la Vega is now saying that "we have not made any decision to implement tiered pricing," which is a slight backtrack from previous hints to the contrary.
How would you change AT&T's 3G MicroCell?
We know, we know -- AT&T's 3G MicroCell isn't even out nationwide yet, but for those select markets that have access, we're hoping you'll chime in on the pros and cons as to enlighten the other folks before their time comes. By and large, the GSM femotocell works exactly like the Airave for Sprint, though this one does fully support 3G data as well as simultaneous voice and data usage. For those that have taken the plunge: are you satisfied with the value proposition? Is reception really any better? Have you ditched your landline yet? What would you change about the service or billing? Voice your opinion on the matter below, and remember, life doesn't present you with many chances such as this. Wouldn't want to waste it, now would we?
Guest post: Setting up an AT&T MicroCell with Murphy Mac
Editor's Note: We welcome guest poster Murphy Mac, a long-time friend of the site who shared with us his experience of setting up one of the new femtocell AT&T repeaters that promise to improve reception for well-heeled iPhone users... or will they? Good times for Charlotte, North Carolina: First AT&T makes Charlotte one of six cities getting a 3G speed boost by the end of 2009. On the heels of that news comes the MicroCell, a device that facilitates AT&T 3G calls where coverage is weak or nonexistent. How? The MicroCell acts like a miniature cell tower in your home or office. Your 3G phone connects to the MicroCell just like it's any other tower. Voice and messaging traffic is then relayed across your broadband Internet connection. Charlotte is the sole initial test market for AT&T's version of the device, though other carriers are distributing their femtocells more widely. Here's the full breakdown on pricing: Purchase Price: $150 Monthly Charge: None Optional Unlimited Voice Minutes Plan while using MicroCell: AT&T Customer with both AT&T landline and DSL: Free Customers with AT&T Landline or DSL: $10 per month All others: $20 per month I installed a MicroCell for a friend the other day, and after one small hiccup it's running. But is it everything I hoped it would be? Setup for the MicroCell is straightforward. Most users will probably connect it via Ethernet to their router, which is exactly what we did. Optionally, the device can be placed between the router and the modem, giving MicroCell traffic priority handling over other Internet connectivity. If you don't have a router, the MicroCell can be plugged directly into your broadband modem and your computer can be connected to the MicroCell. %Gallery-74487%
AT&T 3G MicroCell unboxing and impressions
We've already seen AT&T's 3G MicroCell picked up by a few desperate Charlotteans, but for those residing in North Carolina's only city to own a professional sports championship (sorry, Panthers), their time has finally come to secure what just might be the most anticipated femtocell debut in the states. You heard right -- Raleigh, NC has become AT&T's second test market for the device you're peering at above, and starting today, those in and around the Triangle can procure one from their local store. Needless to say, we jumped at the chance to give the unit a go, so feel free to hop on past the break if you're on the hunt for a few more impressions.%Gallery-74131%
AT&T poised to roll out 3G MicroCell service
For many iPhone owners in the U.S., the fact that you're tied to AT&T as the wireless carrier has been a serious problem. As an example, until this week, I was lucky if I got 2 bars of signal strength on EDGE at my house and I never had 3G service. Now, for some inexplicable reason, I'm able to get a full 5 bars on 3G on the top floor of my house and about 3 bars on the lower floor. Unless you're fortunate enough to have a similar miracle take place near your home, you may need to take advantage of AT&T's upcoming 3G MicroCell service. This service literally puts a tiny Internet-attached cell tower in your home or office, blasting out 5 bars of 3G goodness to about a 5,000 square foot area. The 3G MicroCell comes at a price, of course -- the device is rumored to cost $150 and there will be no monthly charge if you wish to use your existing minutes. You can also add unlimited phone calls through the device for an extra $20 per month, so if you primarily use your iPhone in one location, it might be cheaper to get the minimum service plan for the iPhone and just use the 3G MicroCell unlimited plan for your calls. AT&T's rollout of the 3G MicroCell service will make the iPhone available to a wider audience of potential users, and may also benefit the overstressed AT&T network by decreasing the number of voice and data calls using the regular cell towers. At the present time, AT&T is testing the 3G MicroCell service in Charlotte, NC. You can check availability of the service by visiting the AT&T site.
AT&T's 3G MicroCell tested and reviewed by Charlottean: yes, it works
For those who missed the torrent of 3G MicroCell news yesterday, here's the long and short of it: the Cisco-built device is now on sale, but only in Charlotte, North Carolina. One fortunate Charlottean managed to scoop one up, but rather than keeping the experience to himself, he decided to bang out a full review for the rest of the world to see. By and large, Jason's experience with the femtocell mirrored our own with Sprint's AIRAVE. Installation and setup was a breeze, and once it was booted up and operational, it worked like a charm. Before picking this up, he was seeing one bar of EDGE (if he was lucky); afterwards, his entire house was blanketed with five bars of 3G. Not surprisingly, he noted that the before and after difference when fielding calls was "night and day," but he did take the opportunity to bark at the lofty $150 price tag. But hey, those desperate enough will cough up anything to actually use their phone, right?
AT&T's 3G MicroCell gets unboxed, looks sufficiently cute
It's sort of outrageous how much publicity AT&T's very own femtocell has garnered here lately, particularly when you realize that it's limited to the Charlotte, North Carolina area alone. But look -- did you really expect us to pass up what appears to be the very first unboxing of the 3G MicroCell? No, you didn't. Hit the read link if you're somehow not quite past the point of saturation, and be sure to have a peek past the break for an unexpected treat.[Thanks, Aaron]
AT&T's 3G MicroCell runs $150 in Charlotte trial, service is free without unlimited calling
Gearlog has scooped pricing details on AT&T's entry into the up-and-coming femtocell market, the 3G MicroCell, where it's currently undergoing a public market trial in Charlotte, North Carolina -- and basically, it's a decent deal as long as you don't want unlimited calling. Stores are charging $150 for the unit itself and service is free (similar to Verizon's model, though Verizon charges $100 more upfront and the unit doesn't do 3G); if you want to tack on unlimited calling, you're paying another $20 a month unless you have some combination of AT&T landline or DSL service at your address. $20 is properly insane, though in exchange, the carrier throws you a bone with a $100 rebate on the device. All they've got to do is drop that unlimited service down to $10 a month to bring 'em in line with Sprint and T-Mobile and put some pressure on Verizon, which still doesn't offer any unlimited add-on. [Via Mac Rumors]
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]
