AT&T rolling out MicroCell to five more markets

I don't understand why anyone would buy this device. If you don't get good service form AT&T where you live or work then cancel your contract and use another service. The only way these greedy corporations are going to improve service is when the lack of quality they provide hurts profits.

Why reward bad service?

I've had the AT&T MicroCell almost 6 months now. Not at all satisfied… it's flaky, it drops calls, and occasionally the 3G will go out for hours. The signal is susceptible to distortion, and I always hear my own echo, which is completely annoying.

What I don't understand is why I even need the device. There are other VOIP apps for the iPhone that work over WiFi, why couldn't AT&T just make a software solution? It would have the benefit of being portable, even.

It is super inflammatory / sensationalistic that blogs keep neglecting to mention that you DO NOT need to pay extra money to use this thing, or only point it out in the end of the post where many readers never get to it, as many commenters have pointed out. Shame on you TUAW; really shoddy journalism. Man the f$%k up.

Second, it is also factually incorrect when people get upset about the idea of paying to use their phone "over their own bandwidth." The phone call would go over your bandwidth, yes, but then it goes back out to the AT&T network before continuing on. So STFU.

Get you s%^t together people. Elevate the discussion.

ROFL

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I've had one for several months now, in Western NC, up in the mountains where coverage is terrible and limited to EDGE, and I love it. I signed up for the calling feature long enough to get a rebate to make it $50 then cancelled since I think its ridiculous to be charged extra for my own bandwidth. To the person complaining that its only 40 feet, I can get reliable service up to 200 feet from my house, with numerous walls and other electronics between my phone and the MCell

Central Jersey here... 35 miles South of NYC, near (but not on) the shore/coast. EVERY call I'm on that lasts more than 4 minutes will be dropped.

iPhone user since day 1!

Mark the spot, calls to AT&T blah, blah, blah!

Apparently there is a "dead zone" that literally surrounds my 75 year old (newspaper for insulation) house. I hate that I have to ask callers to use my land line when they reach me on my cell, love the iPhone, but why in the world, would I pay to AT&T correct their problem?

It's a nice solution, but they should really be giving these suckers away for free to people with crappy coverage since it only assists and reduces the load on their network.

I am in San Francisco, where this thing is not available yet. But I need it, because as everyone knows AT&T service in SF is beyond horrible. Can I buy the microcell in some market where it is available now and then install it in my home in San Francisco?

Why are they so slow to release this in the 2 markets where they have the worst coverage? New York & San Francisco. Adding them there would go a long way to alleviating the overload customers in those two cities suffer with AT&T.

If AT&T had their way, customers would pay at least FOUR TIMES for access to the SAME network: iPhone, tethering, iPad and Microcell. Greedy bastards.