AT&T to Let You Patch the Dead Zone in Your House for $20 per Month
AT&T to Let You Patch the Dead Zone in Your House for $20 per Month
Posted 09/21/2009 at 5:24am
| by Paul Lilly
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Times are tough all around, and one way to cut costs is to dump your landline and use your swank smartphone exclusively, if you haven't already. For some, however, this isn't an option because of dead zones scattered throughout the home. For $20 per month, AT&T says not to worry.
The telco has started offering the 3G MicroCell, a wireless network extender the company claims acts like a mini cellular tower in your home. With it, users can expect enhanced coverage for both voice and data for up to 5,000 square feet, with support for up to four users at any given time. And should you leave your home while still on the phone, AT&T promises seamless call hand-over as you move out of the 3G MicroCell network.
Sounds groovy, but is $20/month for unlimited use asking too much? Engadget seems to think so, who points out that both Sprint and T-Mobile offer similar options for half as much, while Verizon doesn't charge a dime once you pony up for its $250 network extender.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below.
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lovercathi
November 23, 2010 at 5:02am
AT&T 3G MicroCell acts like a mini cellular tower in your home or small business environment. It connects to AT&T's network via your existing broadband Internet service (such as U-verse, DSL or cable) and is designed to support up to four simultaneous users in a home or small business setting.
I wonder how the VoIP Phones will react to this one.
B10H4Z4RD
November 07, 2009 at 4:33pm
um....does anyone know if its available in there area? not in mine...
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Elric
September 23, 2009 at 9:51am
Uhh.... My land line is <$20/month and sounds like a land line instead of a fraking cell phone, so yeah, that's way too much. :)
Tekzel
September 22, 2009 at 6:00am
As an obvious alternative, you could choose a cell carrier that... doesn't suck.
HeartBurnKid
September 21, 2009 at 7:56am
T-Mobile's Hotspot@home service is actually free if you buy a compatible phone. The extra $10 per month is only if you want unlimited calls over VOIP, or a separate line for VOIP, rather than VOIP calls using up your minutes like normal.
This is a pretty dick move on AT&T's part. "For just $20 bucks a month, you can use your own bandwidth to help us expand our network!"
snapple00
September 21, 2009 at 9:48am
Actually I'm not talking about Hotspot @ home. My phone has the ability to connect to any wifi access point and use that to make calls rather than the network towers, but it still uses my minutes.
If you add on the UMA package (don't remember what its called, or if its still available), you can connect to an access point, and it won't count as your minutes. That even means over seas it won't cost you anything. The phone has to be UMA capable of course (like my blackberry 8900).
But still, AT&T charging 20 extra bucks just to use what should work in the first place? Not to mention all the rabid iPhone users constantly downloading crap.
nekollx
September 21, 2009 at 11:20am
But still, AT&T charging 20 extra bucks just to use what should
work in the first place? Not to mention all the rabid iPhone users
constantly downloading crap.Dunno if that's really a viable statement. Cell phones are for on the road, not tunnels or your house with your microwave, fridge, tv, and land line mucking up the signal.
Should it? Yeah.
But by defeaut...i dunno.
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snapple00
September 21, 2009 at 11:54am
True I suppose.
To me (and this could be wrong, or local to my area), it seems like people are ditching land lines for cell phones only, expecting them to work. Lots and lots of people get signal inside their homes, buildings etc.
Just look at the Verizon commercials, most of them are just advertising the strength of their network getting signal almost anywhere.
It just seems odd to me that one would have to pay an extra 20 dollars a month for something as simple as connectivity at the homestead.
nekollx
September 21, 2009 at 12:00pm
which is why i said it should as a nicity but you can't really get upset if it doesn't.
I SHOULD be able to use my cable TV to watch television directly on my computer since its the same provider.
I SHOULD be able to teather my Instinct to my Laptop
I SHOULD be able to download my avi/mp4 torrents to my PSP to what my fansubs
I SHOULD be able to do a lot of things, but since the systems wern't designed for them i don't get too upset.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
snapple00
September 21, 2009 at 1:27pm
What?
Well I guess I SHOULD be able to use my computer as a coffee maker, since it gets hot...
So you are saying cell phone companies only design their systems to be used outside only? Or to be just strong enough to penetrate a car? Or the obvious answer, your trying to say you have no idea what your talking about.
Try learning how to type and/or make sense before you open your virtual mouth.
nekollx
September 21, 2009 at 1:31pm
actually yes.
When Cell phones were developed they were for use on the go, not as a land line repacement.
We consumers added functionality that SHOULD be viable but it's hard to argue a point with something that wasnt in the design vision.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
snapple00
September 21, 2009 at 6:58am
I already have this with my T-mobile blackberry. Its called UMA calling, and its free. If I'm connected to my wifi router then it doesn't matter if I am in range of a tower or not.
If you want UMA calling to not count towards your minutes, its only 10 a month.
MeTo
September 21, 2009 at 6:53am
With all the claims of having the best coverage these should be "FREE". It's sad when you can't even get good coverage in your own home.
Johnvanjim
September 21, 2009 at 6:39am
This would totally solve the problem of the dead zone in my house (where I get no reception anywhere). but it's definitely not worth it for $20 a month. I might pay $40 for it straight up (like a wireless router) but nothing more than that.
I can't wait for some more competition to come out against the big telecoms and watch as their unsatisfied customers finally have better quality, cheaper priced alternatives where customer service isn't just lipservice.
WFUJay
September 21, 2009 at 6:35am
Gotta hand it to AT&T. With their inability to solve dead zones in houses, they've found another ingenious way to take MORE money from their customers -- shouldn't it be the opposite way around? Pretty brilliant actually.
Evasive
September 21, 2009 at 6:25am
They need to install about 6 million of those things just to improve their own network in the U.S. In fact, they should give them out for free and credit each AT&T customer $20 a month for the spotty coverage. Until then, I won't touch an iphone.
nekollx
September 21, 2009 at 8:10am
humm with a $99 adapter sprint lets me tether 5 devices to my phone
Charter does not cap my bandwith.
But sure ATT i'll switch to you.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
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