We mentioned AT&T’s femtocell way back in February, but we don’t blame you if it doesn’t ring a bell. In a nutshell, femtocell is a box you add to your internet setup at home that lets your route the AT&T service you’re paying for through the broadband connection you’re paying for — and you’ll get to pay for the privilege as well.
Yeah, makes no sense to us either, but the bottom line is our sibling site WMExperts picks up an update from Slashgear that says it should be here by the end of the year.
No word on pricing for the femtocell unit, but it was reported earlier that the unit would cover approximately 5,000 square feet and allow up to four simultaneous, secure voice or data connections.
Mike and Dieter discussed this newfangled tech being offered up by AT&T (and others) called Femtocell during the last Phone different podcast, and our sibling site, WMExperts has posted up the quick and dirty:
AT&T is joining the femtocell bandwagon with their 3G MicroCell. While pricing and availability aren’t indicated on AT&T’s site, we do know that it will cover up to 5,000 square feet, allow up to four simultaneous, secure voice or data connections, and will require a broadband connection to operate. It is also only compatible with 3G phones.
Gizmodo has an update as well, but basically if you have poor to no 3G reception, you can stick this box on your home broadband network and it will route all your smartphone connectivity (including voice calls) through your cable or DSL. Cell to internet adapter, in other words. Negatives will likely include an additional — though hopefully small — upfront or monthly fee. Positives could be free nationwide calling while your phone is on the home femtocell network.
Anyone in a bad area think they’ll consider this? Would you rather pay $250 up front and no monthly charge like Verizon, or $100 up front and $5 a month like Sprint? Or is AT&T not scratching one more dime out of your already picked-clean pockets?
