| I must be missing something... Wait...
So people pay for a piece of hardware or the fee to use the hardware in order to ... be able to use the hardware they're already paying for but cannot use satisfactorily?
I must be missing something, because that's what it seems like...
They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone!
... Someone explain this better because it seems like a load to me. |
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| Many people live in structures that block signals. This will allow for many folks to correct that issue. No cell company guarantees a signal withing a building unless they have service repeaters. |
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| reply to MASantangelo
said by MASantangelo:They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! ... Someone explain this better because it seems like a load to me. Typically, calls made using a femtocell are free or at a very reduced rate. I haven't been tracking pricing at all, but I seem to recall Sprint's is something like $100 for the gear, then a monthly fee ($15 / mo I believe) gets you unlimited calls.
So you see, this isn't just for people who live in the sticks. It can be beneficial for heavy talkers with low-minute plans too.
- Tate
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 BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | reply to MASantangelo
said by MASantangelo:Wait... So people pay for a piece of hardware or the fee to use the hardware in order to ... be able to use the hardware they're already paying for but cannot use satisfactorily? I must be missing something, because that's what it seems like... They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! ... Someone explain this better because it seems like a load to me. What makes this even more a rip off is that you are actually doing Verizon a favor by routing the calls over the internet and thus lessing the strain on their towers and the thanks they give you is charging you $250 and a monthly fee. They should be paying you. |
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 Mactronel Camino RealPremium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv | reply to MASantangelo
No one is being forced to buy this thing. 
Frankly I wouldn't keep a Cell service that didn't work properly in my home to begin with. 
YMMV
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If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well. |
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Reviews:
 ·Verizon Wireless..
| reply to TateT
From the Verizon literature included in the Engadget article -
"enabling customers to get the most of their plan minutes while at home"
I think I read the information pretty completely and there is no mention of usage external to your plan. I suppose this could change. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | reply to MASantangelo
said by MASantangelo:They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! Don't forget that you have to pay for a connection to the Internet to offload traffic from VZW's network to your ISP's network. VZW should pay you for sparing their bandwidth. |
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 MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | said by openbox9:said by MASantangelo:They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! Don't forget that you have to pay for a connection to the Internet to offload traffic from VZW's network to your ISP's network. VZW should pay you for sparing their bandwidth. You're just offloading it from their wireless network to their wired network. |
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| said by Matt:said by openbox9:said by MASantangelo:They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! Don't forget that you have to pay for a connection to the Internet to offload traffic from VZW's network to your ISP's network. VZW should pay you for sparing their bandwidth. You're just offloading it from their wireless network to their wired network. Not if your wired connection is Comcast. It is only on their wired network if you have Verizon DSL or Fios.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | reply to Matt
Except that I do have a cellphone from VZW, but I don't have a landline from VZ. My ISP is backed up by AT&T, so I would be helping Verizon quite a bit by paying them extra and offloading my phone calls from their network. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | reply to fAcEtIOUs
said by fAcEtIOUs:Not if your wired connection is Comcast. It is only on their wired network if you have Verizon DSL or Fios. The call has to traverse back to the Verizon network for call termination somehow, so only part of it traverses your ISPs network. That's what I meant. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | reply to openbox9
said by openbox9:Except that I do have a cellphone from VZW, but I don't have a landline from VZ. My ISP is backed up by AT&T, so I would be helping Verizon quite a bit by paying them extra and offloading my phone calls from their network. See my response to Tk. You're not offloading your entire call from their network. They are still responsible for call termination so only part of your call traverses your ISPs network. Just like a VoIP call. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | Yes, but VZ's wireline network is solid and has plenty of bandwidth to support call volume. That may not be the case wireless OTOH. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | said by openbox9:Yes, but VZ's wireline network is solid and has plenty of bandwidth to support call volume. That may not be the case wireless OTOH. No argument there, but Verizon is still doing the heavy lifting. |
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 spamdPremium
join:2001-04-22
Cherry Valley, IL | reply to Mactron
Some people don't have a choice. |
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 tschmidtPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
kudos:5
 ·Fairpoint Commun..
 ·Hollis Hosting
| reply to openbox9
said by openbox9:Yes, but VZ's wireline network is solid and has plenty of bandwidth to support call volume. Exactly - wired capacity is cheap compared to wireless. It is in carrier's advantage to reduce wireless traffic.
I don't have a problem using personal broadband connection for telephone traffic as long as carriers make it worthwhile and the only phone(s) capable of accessing Femtocell is your own.
/tom |
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 digiblurGot Sipura?Premium
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana | reply to TateT
The Sprint implementation with the Airave is awesome. I installed a repeater with an outdoor directional antenna and the results were fair but still not the greatest.
I was able to get the Airave from Sprint for free and no monthly service. I get full coverage all over the house now and have the ability to block people from using it but I leave it wide open since I don't live in an apartment.
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Make your Sipura/PAP2 speak. »www.voipurize.com
SouthWest Louisiana PC Users Group »www.swlapcug.com |
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BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | reply to Matt
said by Matt:said by openbox9:said by MASantangelo:They get you for the phone and the service, the service is crappy at your house, they won't expand the signal to cover you, but hey look we have this $250 box that will allow you to use your phone! Don't forget that you have to pay for a connection to the Internet to offload traffic from VZW's network to your ISP's network. VZW should pay you for sparing their bandwidth. You're just offloading it from their wireless network to their wired network. How am I doing that since I live in an AT&T area for POTS and I get my internet from Charter? Exactly where is Verizon coming in at? |
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 NOCManMacChatterPremium
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO | reply to MASantangelo
If you read the contract of any cell phone company they do not guarantee signal inside structures. |
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| reply to spamd
Agreed.
And thanks to growing numbers of NIMBYs who are afraid of cell towers that's not going to improve anytime soon. |
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