Filed under: Hardware, Wireless, Odds and ends, Internet, iPhone
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.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SuperNumberOne Podcast said 3:12PM on 9-22-2009
This device couldn't come soon enough for me. I have absolute zero cell service in my apartment, and have to stand next to the window to get even spotty coverage. Buying the device for a flat rate seems fine to me, though really, I'm shelling out lots of money to them every month so I can use skype at home on my iPhone.
What is a load of crap though is that using the device costs me minutes. I shouldn't have to pay for their spotty coverage, especially when I'm taking some load off of their strained network.
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Slappy said 3:37PM on 9-22-2009
flat rate price doesn't bother me, though it seems high considering we would be helping them expand there network (5000 sq ft is at least a couple of houses wide in a city) so not sure it should be so much.
And why does it use MY minutes when it is using MY internet connection to convert what I'm doing to what sounds like VOIP?
From my initial research on Sprint's similar service, the calls placed through the device are free because it treats them as wi-fi and that's where I start talking myself out of buying it...
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Roberto said 1:50AM on 9-23-2009
5000 ft^2 is a circle of 12m radius. This is not phenomenal.
Better get a MagicJack and a regular cordless phone and save your minutes.
I expect that the Black Hat conference will have a demo on how to decode the AT&T VoIP protocol using Wireshark.
Mathieu said 3:40PM on 9-22-2009
It's inexplicable, not 'unexplicable'. Twenty-three years of writing and here you are...
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Eminemdrdre00 said 3:53PM on 9-22-2009
This was news...yesterday.
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David Robison said 4:13PM on 9-22-2009
Wow, you must be stunningly c00l.
StarFox said 3:54PM on 9-22-2009
So, AT&T is charging for a device that's sole purpose is to improve their poor service? Isn't that the same as me giving my customers poor quality products and then charging them extra to fix them?
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Le Big Mac said 4:00PM on 9-22-2009
I would like this a lot more if it also had a POTS/analog jack that would take landline calls from my house phones and route them VOIP as well. Then I could eliminate my landline.
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Andre said 4:08PM on 9-22-2009
And if you buy one of these, does your neighbor all of a sudden see a 3G signal he can use?
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Thwarko said 4:15PM on 9-22-2009
@ Steven Sande
Here's the reason you received more bars within the Denver area.
My communication with ATT via Facebook:
http://i38.tinypic.com/2ptxa21.png
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Aaron P. said 4:17PM on 9-22-2009
I'm a Charlottean and picked one of these up yesterday. My house is in the proverbial "dead zone", necessitating a walk up to the end of the driveway if you want service. As a result, we've always needed a landline (Vonage), which costs about $35/month after taxes and fees. By purchasing this device, we're essentially replacing our Vonage service with the MicroCell device since we'll now get unlimited calls from home for only $20/month. We'll be saving about $15/month, can now eliminate a phone number, and get perfect cell reception at home. Sounds like a win-win to me.
There's nothing but good things to say about the service so far. Call quality is great and I've got 5 bars of 3G goodness everywhere I go in the house. There is no "home" number anymore, and we'll now be reachable on our cell phones. We're loving it. Plus, when you add the $20/month unlimited calls plan, there is a $100 rebate, so it's really only costing us $50 for the device.
As for neighbors accessing the device, it's simply not possible. When you activate the device you tie up to four AT&T mobile numbers to the device and those are the only phones that are permitted to use the device.
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Thwarko said 4:21PM on 9-22-2009
I'm jealous Aaron!
But from what I've read, the MicroCell allows 4 simultaneous users access but you can register up to 10 separate devices to auto login when within range.
Drifter71 said 4:42PM on 9-22-2009
I have Vonage too but would never dare use that as my only land line as when the power goes out so does your "land line" I have great cell service so I always have that backup, but with 2 small children a power outage and no cell service, would scare the hell out of me.
Dale said 9:42PM on 9-23-2009
I just watched the video at http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/why/3gmicrocell/ and selected the Unlimited Talk Time button. The video says you can even let your friends use the device.
I already pay for unlimited plan.. now they want me to actually pay for the signal... AGAIN?
akcpe said 4:23PM on 9-22-2009
This doesnt make sense:
"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."
If you have good reception (ie, near cell tower) why switch to the microcell? And if you have an internet connection to plug the microcell into... why wouldnt you just use wifi? Somehow this doesnt seem like a valid argument. It does seem like a good idea to boost a low or nonexistant signal though.
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David Robison said 8:24PM on 9-22-2009
Because you can't make voice calls with WiFi (currently).
Roberto said 2:39AM on 9-23-2009
I was under the impression that Apple allowed Skype and a few other VoIP apps in the App Store, because they limited themselves to WiFi use.
David Robison said 4:35PM on 9-22-2009
We might consider it since most of our iPhone calls are from home (though we do still have a landline for safety's sake).
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David Robison said 4:37PM on 9-22-2009
That is...to take advantage of the $20 all-you-can-eat plan and reduce our plan load.
jgaither627 said 5:35PM on 9-22-2009
I heard December for a wider roll out, but then again this is AT&T so who knows when it will really make it to the rest of us...
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