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story category Verizon Wireless To Offer Femtocell Service
Sometime in 2008, no word yet on pricing...
(old news - 04:05PM Thursday Apr 03 2008)
tags: prices · business · alternatives · telco · VoIP · networking
Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone today announced that the company would be offering a femtocell-based service sometime this year. Femtocell technology essentially puts a micro-cell tower in your home, improving home signal quality and routing calls over a user's home broadband connection, which reduces load on traditional towers. Sprint is already tinkering with the technology in several markets ($49.99 for the device, $15 a month for unlimited home calling) and AT&T says femtocells are in their future plans as well.

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Forums » Verizon Wireless To Offer Femtocell Service
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Noah Vail
Premium
join:2004-12-10
Lorton, VA
·RoadRunner Cable

Ready for it today.

Worst possible Verizon signal in my home. Weak enough to prevent a call, strong enough to prevent roaming.

Wonder if this sucker would work with EVDO? Of course I would want to use my EVDO at home only if my existing broadband connection were out......

NV

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:

Re: Ready for it today.

If you cannot get a cell signal, how would get EVDO in case your broadband went out??

Noah Vail
Premium
join:2004-12-10
Lorton, VA
·RoadRunner Cable

(Mostly) Ready for it today.

said by Noah Vail See Profile :

Of course I would want to use my EVDO at home only if my existing broadband connection were out......
NV
I guess after the ellipses I should have inserted [rimshot] or [WAIT_FOR_IT].

I'll try to be clearer in my next posting.

NV

--
Abortion: A Republican Plot to Thin the Liberal Herd.

tc1uscg

join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI

Re: Ready for it today.

said by ropeguru See Profile :

If you cannot get a cell signal, how would get EVDO in case your broadband went out??
You can't. Just like if you VoIP or cable telephone. If the cable is out, your SOL.
RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
Unfortunately, this uses your home broadband connection so it's rather useless as a backup.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.

KA3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA
clubs:
·Cricket Broadband
·Verizon FIOS

Re: Ready for it today.

said by RadioDoc See Profile :

Unfortunately, this uses your home broadband connection so it's rather useless as a backup.
What if my home broadband connection is via Verizon Fios??

If I keep the Fios ONT and router connected to a UPS, maybe their excellent Fiber Optic Internet service can make up for their lousy cellular coverage.

They should be paying me to sign up for that service, it would cut down on my calls to VZW tech support.
--
"Lithium is no longer available on credit"

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo

Re: Ready for it today.

said by KA3SGM See Profile :

They should be paying me to sign up for that service, it would cut down on my calls to VZW tech support.
They should be paying us anyway to use the service. Espicially since it will take a load off THEIR cell towers AND we are paying for the electricity to run in and the broadband connection for the data to traverse.
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

Re: Ready for it today.

Only phones whose numbers are in it can use it. There is a limit to how many numbers you can put in it, the max is 5 usually but it can be less. Other customers would be pissed if their call drops or they suddenly get insane latency because their phone switched to your overloaded (5,10,30 users, or more) femtocell which is fighting for upload traffic/upload speed from a "no limits set in the app" p2p program running on your broadband connection. If it was meant to provide service to everyone, Verizon Wireless would put it on a dedicated T1 or a couple bonded T1s (you dont get to piggy back onto them, they don't have TCPIP traffic going over them (except as encrypted/spread spectrumed EVDO traffic from other users)) that they pay for.
RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest

It is supposed to work with any broadband connection. That's an interesting idea though...but you'd still have to have a VZ cell plan in addition to whatever they'll charge for the privilege of not using their cellular network while at home.

T-Mobile is doing theirs a little differently where the phone itself switches modes to WiFi. This is basically a base station for your normal cell phone connected to broadband by Ethernet, mimicking a real cell site. I wonder what happens when a bunch of these are in close proximity like a high-density MDU scenario...
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

Re: Ready for it today.

the highest density i have seen is 2 of these phones on my wireless router. works fine. ha

The benefit of wifi is you could be in Europe and call locally as if you were in the states. Not that I do that but an advantage.
--
Learning how to invest. Sign up to get 3 free trades for you and me each. Personal Message me. Thanks
RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11

Re: Ready for it today.

That would be the T-Mobile type. This is different and each would have a 'base station' of sorts in the form of a femtocell. They aren't WiFi.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.

TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
I'd consider testing it out and maybe dumping my landline if it really worked well.

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

I left Verizon due to not having signal at my new home. I worked with them for 2 months after I got so fed up i decided to switch(which they probably wanted since they couldn't deliver). Normally I am very happy with their service but after 4 no call backs after they said they would call they really hurt their image in my mind.

Right now i decided to switch to tmobile and i can go on ANY wifi signal and get unlimited calling for EVERYONE on the family plan. I like tmobile and verizon but TMOB wins this one.
--
Learning how to invest. Sign up to get 3 free trades for you and me each. Personal Message me. Thanks
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: Ready for it today.

Well it could be a technology issue- T-Mobile's WiFi technology uses UMA as its main standard, which is based around transferring calls easily from VoIP over WiFi to GSM- there may not be a CDMA equivalent for Verizon to use. (The dilemma of CDMA- better technology for voice calls alone, worse in everything else)

KA3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA
clubs:
·Cricket Broadband
·Verizon FIOS

Re: Ready for it today.

said by EPS See Profile :

Well it could be a technology issue- T-Mobile's WiFi technology uses UMA as its main standard, which is based around transferring calls easily from VoIP over WiFi to GSM- there may not be a CDMA equivalent for Verizon to use. (The dilemma of CDMA- better technology for voice calls alone, worse in everything else)
Only issue I could see is that CDMA requires each Cell Site to have GPS Synchronization with the other connecting cell sites.

Will I now need to hang a GPS antenna on my roof to experience a seamless handoff between the surrounding Macro Cells and a Femtocell in my house??
--
"Lithium is no longer available on credit"
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

Re: Ready for it today.

Probably not. Handoffs work by your phone reporting the signal strength to the switch, the switch then sets up the "destination" tower then tells your phone to listen to it. If your phone number isn't allowed for that femotocell your phone will never be told to switch to it, and if it runs out of signal, well, dropped call.

Im not sure how necessary the GPS on the tower is. Its not need for E911, the "tower" only goes 100 feet at most, and the need to use GPS to figure where the phone is, is useless. Also the first CDMA phones didn't have GPS. Whether towers need to sync with each other through GPS to reduce interference with each other (remember they all talk "on top" of each other using unique masks/patterns), I dont know.

ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo

Would be nice...

since one of the locations where I live four days a week has little to no signal inside. Oh, wait, I forgot.. This same location can't gt broadband either.

Guess I am still SOL...

Hey Verizon, I am looking for all those support people and their equipment I see on TV. Can you hear me now??? Didn't think so.

Idiots!!

Rob 23

@alltel.net

fmc 3000

Whats not to like? $15 a month for unlimited home calling,Less than cable voip - vonage voip and all the other little voips. »www.actiontec.com/products/home_···tsht.pdf
openbox9

join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
·AT&T Southeast

Re: fmc 3000

said by Rob 23 :

$15 a month for unlimited home calling
On top of your existing cellphone and ISP bills. Gotta love how providers are able to pass their system load to a potential competitor and charge you money for the pleasure of doing so. This is another P2P "freeloading" discussion waiting to happen.
neufuse

join:2006-12-06
Indiana, PA

price?

Yeah but will they make is pay to have one? I think to releave stress off their towers we should not have to pay a monthly fee for it!... we should be able to buy the box and that's it... register up to say 5 phones on it and your done

tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Hollis Hosting
·Verizon Online DSL
·Fairpoint Communic..

Femtocell vs WiFi

I think this is an exciting idea. Offloading Cell phone traffic to broadband connection make eminent sense, saves money, and is a win-win situation (unless marketing screws it up).

In this corner we have Verizon wireless connecting a Femtocell base station to your home network.

In the other corner we have multi function Cell Phones that include a WiFi radio to bypass cellular radio technology all together.

We interesting to see how this plays out.

/tom

not

@comcast.net

UMA is better solution

UMA via WiFi from wifi capable phones is a much better solution. No need for aditional equipment and can work ANYWHERE there's wifi access. T-Mobile's Blackberries with WiFi have UMA capabilities and for about $10/month you can make unlimited calls via UMA. That means free calls from home, work, coffee house, whatever. So much better then Verizon's limited capabilites... err, I mean, money making schemes w/limitations.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: UMA is better solution

As far as I know there is no working deployed technology for UMA over CDMA, only GSM... also, with this plan you can use your existing phones.
Mr Matt

join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq

What?

If I have three handsets (Lines) on my account would I pay $15.00 per handset or $15.00 per account? If Verizon uses the V-Cast Model it would be $15.00 per handset and not worth it. How will Embarq or Comcast react to carrying Verizon Voice traffic when they are in competition with Verizon.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: What?

Embarq is in competition with Verizon? Except maybe in the way that Verizon Wireless competes with all landline carriers (including Verizon wireline), but no one's seriously complained about T-Mobile as far as I know...
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

Re: What?

T-mobile's coverage is pathetic, so it only affects them in certain markets.
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

said by Mr Matt See Profile :

If I have three handsets (Lines) on my account would I pay $15.00 per handset or $15.00 per account? If Verizon uses the V-Cast Model it would be $15.00 per handset and not worth it. How will Embarq or Comcast react to carrying Verizon Voice traffic when they are in competition with Verizon.
Same as with Vonage and VOIP, do nothing, or just allow jitter and latency without a care.

AnonFool

@verizon.net

So we are supposed to buy their DSL and share it with ...

... and share it with our neighbors???

They want us to purchase bandwidth from them and then purchase a device that lets them resell the bandwidth that we already paid for???

What is wrong with this picture?
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

Re: So we are supposed to buy their DSL and share it with ...

Femtocells only serve you/whatever phone numbers you put into them. They aren't real cellphone towers. If they were, Verizon Wireless would be paying for a dedicated T1 to each, dont think about tapping its bandwidth, its wont be TCPIP.

tc1uscg

join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI

Day late.. dollar short (just like VZW)

Again, VZW shows up late for the party. Think Verizon can come up with ideas on their own? Sprints been testing this for weeks in major cities for deployment 2nd qtr (If I could remember where I read it I'd post the link). But never fails VZ shows up late.. once again.
youngmoore

join:2001-03-16
Marietta, GA

Re: Day late.. dollar short (just like VZW)

this help you out?
»www.sprintusers.com/forum/showth···t=140231

ym

JTW

@lucent.com
Sprint has been testing in Colorado (don't know where), and in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. Haven't heard how it's been working out, and was rather curious myself.

Sprint is using Samsung's Femto.

tc1uscg

join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI

Re: Day late.. dollar short (just like VZW)

Testing in Detroit too.. Know someone who works for'em. But he just got laid off so source is gone.
pevoosow

join:2008-05-14
Newburgh, NY

magicJack

Did you read the article at »telephonyonline.com/voip/news/ma···ks-0502/ . Good reading about future products.

Bob
Forums » Verizon Wireless To Offer Femtocell Service


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