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join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | I want I want one that does data as well so I can have 3G coverage in my house for my blackberry. | |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
1 edit | Re: I want said by Eat Me  :I want one that does data as well so I can have 3G coverage in my house for my blackberry. I believe the femtocell will provide both voice and data services just like a regular cell tower does.
P.S.> does your model of Blackberry have WiFi? If it does, you would be better off using the WiFi router in your home for data access and would get better speeds and would avoid any bandwidth caps AT&T may put on you, if any, thru this new service.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? | |
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spg
Grrrr
join:2001-10-31
NOT Texas! | Re: I want Yep. | |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX | Femtocells will offload internet traffic directly to the internet, any traffic that needs to go through AT&T will go to AT&T.
If they employ spit tunnels. | |
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ
 ·PHONE POWER
1 edit | It would have to have data if it transmits an AT&T 3G signal.
AT&T's 3G network is UMTS/HSDPA. Even with just UMTS you have 384 Kbps of data built-in. If it can support HSDPA, it can do several Mbps if your broadband can.
Of course, AT&T could just deny the data portion altogether.. but technically, I don't see why or how they could. | |
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SterlingJ85
Obama 2008
join:2000-11-19
Millville, NJ | Re: I want My mistake. lol
But, very true! | |
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| quatrix
Premium
join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL | If you're at home anyway, why not just use your computer instead of a tiny BlackBerry? | |
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moby866
Premium
join:2000-10-07
Above you | Re: I want also the crackberry is attached to his hands at all times now. It was an outpatient procedure, covered by his insurance actually. | |
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| Chewyrobbo
join:2005-04-12
Tacoma, WA | The Bold is the only blackberry on AT&T so far that even does 3G Anyways. | |
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banditws6
Shrinking Time and Distance
join:2001-08-18
Naples, FL
·Comcast
| I'd like to try one of these... AT&T coverage in my house can be a little spotty, so I'd love to try one of these femtocells. $100 doesn't sound like a bad price point.
Forgive my ignorance of the tech, but are AT&T's femtocells of any benefit if you are still using a 2G phone? Or do they only work with 3G phones? I notice only 3G phones were mentioned in the AT&T statement.
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mlong
Premium
join:2000-05-27
Parker, CO
 ·Qwest.net
1 edit | I like it I see this as a logical progression of the cell phone. People replaced home phones with cell phones because they're move convenient and offer more for the money. That being said, they still spend most their time at home. I'd bring in a femtocell if the provider offered unlimited voice/data while on my home network. They get to offload traffic from their backhaul and I get unlimited service which should be reliable as the "tower" is in my basement.
I work from home a lot and have a personal Verizon cell phone and a work-issued BlackBerry. I get fairly good service but they could be better. I don't have a home phone and having a femtocell would be nice to improve those monotonous conference calls about conference calls. I wonder what happens when Joe Blow (plumber/six pack/schmoe) gets one and he's trying to talk on the phone while his kids are downloading movies from the internet? I would envision them needing to explain quality of service to people a lot.
Finally, how do the providers feel about this? With the exception of Verizon, I don't think any really have their own cell phone division. How will they feel about their "tubes" being used to carry another company's service?
AT&T, if you're looking for someone to test it out I'd like to throw my name out there for consideration! 
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Make money on the stuff you never use: Crowd Rent | |
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I Use Dial
join:2004-01-04
Morgan Hill, CA
clubs:
·Charter Pipeline
| Re: I like it said by mlong :I would envision them needing to explain quality of service to people a lot. Finally, how do the providers feel about this? With the exception of Verizon, I don't think any really have their own cell phone division. How will they feel about their "tubes" being used to carry another company's service? It would come with the same QoS issues as VOIP, so this is nothing new.
I think the ISP's like it when internet services are used because it means you're less likely to cancel their service. | |
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BigDog
join:2008-12-12
Montpelier, VT
1 edit | Why not? I think this should be the standard for all cell providers including Verizon, especially if you could use it in home with no charges or maybe a small monthly charge it would be well worth it(I take that last part back aobut the small monthly charge i pay enough to Verizon). I am a big fan of the Femtocells sign me up STAT!!! | |
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| ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| Re: Similar to UMA Bigger phone selection is the primary advantage, not only for the carrier but also for the customer. Very few phone support UMA, which would negate the main advantage of GSM: namely, the ability to use whatever phone you like on your account. | |
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Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL | Is 3g data free over this? Will your cap still apply to it's Is 3g data free over this? Will your cap still apply to it's use? | |
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Chaldo
join:2008-03-18
West Bloomfield, MI | Would try this out Seams like a cool thing. | |
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questonable
@ohio-state.edu
|  Brilliant
In the short term, however, it will be a challenge to get customers to adopt these new femtocells, and more importantly to get people to trust them before they start charging. If I were getting one now, I'd definitely be asking whether it would slow down my home internet speeds and if my neighbors would be able to piggyback off of my signal or if it would just be mine(I paid the $100 dollars right?)
This could in the long run lead to the elimination of cell towers completely with the burden of powering the network left to the consumers. It could also allow phone providers to monopolize areas(if say Buffalo, NY got AT&T femtocells in a majority of the city early on, competitors would have
SEVERE barriers to entry in that area).
Bottom line is this technology is a game changer for any company who develops it to the fullest of its potential. | |
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Pizz
Hi
join:2000-10-27
Astoria, NY | Hello Caps? Sad state we live in. All this wonderful technology, but you're capped in doing so. | |
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| fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: Hello Caps? said by Pizz :Sad state we live in. All this wonderful technology, but you're capped in doing so. Agreed..
However, I'll open this one up..
CAPS - bad..
Overage Charges - acceptable
NO ISP should be able to cap and discontinue service to ANY customer at any time. I DO, however, support the pay-to-play model.
A customer has the right to data, in my view, but the ISP has a right to protect their assets. The goal is, however, to define what an "average" or (god forbid I say this one) "reasonable amount" of use and then define what it costs over and above.
I mean, cutting someone's account for legit purposes is wrong, I will agree. But, you also can't be allowed to consume anything you want with out a cost burden for doing so.. and those who P2P, run servers, download anything they can like they're on "Million Dollar Shopping Spree, the Prime Time Event" should have to pay too.
The sad thing, however, is that human beings will never all agree on something called "fair".. | |
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| | jester121
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
 ·surpasshosting
·ViaTalk
| Re: Hello Caps? said by fiberguy :The sad thing, however, is that human beings will never all agree on something called "fair".. Very true. I disagreed with almost everything in your post.  | |
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amungus
Premium
join:2004-11-26
America
clubs:
| they are neat... A friend has one through Sprint, connected to DSL.
Far as I know, all he had to do was open a few ports (on his router) and it works great. No stutter even while downloading things on the PC.
Only downside is that it will only allow Sprint phones. When I visited last, I still had a couple bars on my phone, but his Sprint phone was, of course, seeing max signal.
These things, whatever technology they're using (CDMA, for instance), should allow other users to hop on. Kind of unfair to lock them into specific carriers... If I can roam on Sprint's "real" towers, why not on their micro towers??? CDMA through Sprint isn't THAT much different than others, is it??? ...I admit, I do not know off the top of my head...
The biggest downside I can see with this is the extra radiation - how long before people start complaining about more cell radio waves causing cancer, killing people, or leading to deafness/blindness/dumbness  | |
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| ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| Re: they are neat... If you were using your carrier's native network at the time, your phone wouldn't allow you to roam on Sprint, either on a regular site or a femtocell. Another issue may be your PRL. Sprint may have sent your friend's phone a PRL that makes his phone look for the femtocell before the regular cell sites. Unless your carrier releases a PRL telling your phone to prefer Sprint femtocells over the Sprint cell network, then it won't try to connect. | |
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ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| I'd do it if... ...it allowed me to lower my plan from FT 700 to FT 550 and there was either no recurring monthly cost or a very small one. I don't use all the minutes I have, so the ability to lower my cost would really help me out. I can justify the $100 cost of the hardware, since I'd save that money over a few months. | |
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| tvdrew
join:2008-08-20
Washington, DC
·RCN CABLE
| Re: I'd do it if... said by ISurfTooMuch :...it allowed me to lower my plan from FT 700 to FT 550 and there was either no recurring monthly cost or a very small one. I don't use all the minutes I have, so the ability to lower my cost would really help me out. I can justify the $100 cost of the hardware, since I'd save that money over a few months. I don't think the minutes are free just because it goes over the femtocell | |
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| eakenn
join:2005-02-20
Smyrna, GA
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·Charter Pipeline
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: Also being done by other companies I've had the Airave service since it was initially offered to the general public back in 2008 (I think it was October?).
I have the Samsung device and it was $100.
You pay $5 for the Airave service, however any phone on your family plan can use the Airave device and any Sprint phone for that matter as long as you don't have the Airave locked down to only allow certain cell #'s. I have mine locked down to only allow certain numbers. I'm not sharing my HSI bandwidth with anyone, so the Airave is locked down.
If another Sprint user's phone near my apartment winds up camping on my Airave device and attempts to place a call, they'll get a recording saying "You are in an Airave coverage area, please leave the Airave coverage area to make a call...." - I'm sure 911 calls would be allowed, however.
Only 3 calls can be placed at a time on the Airave, however I believe there is no limitation as to how many Sprint CDMA phones can camp on the Airave device.
If you do not add the $20/mo option for unlimited calling any calls placed on the Airave will be taken from your allotted monthly minutes, Nights/Weekends/M2M are of course free w/o the $20/mo unlimited option.
I used to have the $20/mo unlimited option, but about 90% of the calls made are to other Sprint phones and I have the 1500 min family plan with Sprint, so I ditched the unlimited feature and still hardly put a dent in my family plan minutes every month.
As for data services. My CrackBerry will latch on the weak native PCS Sprint EVDO network when I'm within my Airave's coverage area. All 3 phones on my family plan are 3G, so they have the same behavior.
If I initiate a voice call on the Airave (you hear a tone when you place a call to let you know the call is being placed via the Airave) and if I leave my apartment to go to my car, I hear another tone letting me know the call has been handed off to the terrestrial cell network. The handoffs do not work in the other direction, however....
All in all Sprint's femtocell service is awesome, incl. the 25% discount I get off of my Sprint services because of my employer. | |
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eyetack
join:2002-09-05
Leicester, MA | Awesome! Let's make up for the lack of well-placed cell towers by having paying customers essentially put up their own ... and use transport that said customers pay for ... and we'll charge them for it to boot. | |
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IIIBradIII
Comm M-E-L Instr
join:2000-09-28
Greer, SC | ATT playing catch-up to T-Mobile? Hasn't T-Mobile been offering this for awhile? | |
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| ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL | Re: ATT playing catch-up to T-Mobile? No, T-Mobile has been offering UMA service, which requires a special UMA-capable phone. This will work with any GSM phone compatible with North American frequencies. | |
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rw123
Premium
join:2004-01-16
Indianapolis, IN
clubs: | Do we have to use it at home? could we take the box on the road and attach wherever we are, across the country, across the world? how would they know where the box is attached? | |
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| ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| Re: Do we have to use it at home? Femtocells have GPS receivers inside that only allow them to work inside a carrier's licensed coverage area. Take them outside that area, and they won't work. This is done because they transmit radio signals on licensed bands. If they worked anywhere, they could interfere with another carrier or, in the case of taking them to a country with different wireless bands, whatever service operated in the North American bands in that country. | |
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decifal
join:2007-03-10
Bon Aqua, TN | caps so.. offload their towers... use up your soon to be capped (( low caps to top it off )) dsl... Damn, double profit for ATT the death star their way, not yours...
Thought technology was supposed to get better/more effecient? | |
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| eakenn
join:2005-02-20
Smyrna, GA | Re: caps"Damn, double profit for ATT the death star their way, not yours..."
AT&T...Your World Destroyed... | |
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BayAreaCheapo
@telepacific.net
| Which city are they covering first? Which city has this trial? How does one sign up for the trial? I am in the SF Bay area and I would love to try it.
More about my situation in case folks have comments:
I have abysmal AT&T coverage at home. I want to stick with AT&T coz they are the best GSM provider nationwide in terms of coverage. I want GSM coz I buy my own unlocked phones which I use worldwide. I am signed up for pre-paid coz I can't abide the roguery of contracts -- if AT&T sucks too much I'd like to switch to T-mobile (which is another can of worms, I guess).
I think femtocells are a great idea -- as long as the dudes don't get too greedy. As someone pointed out, if one has a femotcell one is actually doing them a favor, especially if one allows any nearby AT&T phone to go through it.
I'd pay $100 for the unit (even though its a ripoff) if there is no additional ongoing charge.
BayAreaCheapo
PS: By the way, I just got back after living 3 years abroad in Asia -- I had crisp 100% signal all the time and lived with my cell phone as a primary thing. I loved the fact that incoming calls and SMS were free -- it really makes for the right kind of behavior and SMS is used very extensively. In terms of coverage, pricing structures etc I must say its like going back to the 20th century to come back stateside -- and to Silicon Valley, no less!! | |
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cellularken
join:2007-09-30
Interlochen, MI
| Discussion on CAPS on Data
Cellular Employee | |
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AT&T Looking For Femtocell Testers
Vonage custome ready to move