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AT&T 3G MicroCell Site Goes Live, Monthly Fees to Be Up to $19.99?
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I am so torn about this device. I live in the Raleigh area and we have TERRIBLE coverage in our whole house. The rest of the neighborhood, is bad, but our house is worse... 1 bar is the best we get, and it goes in and out constantly. So now to fix the problem of terrible coverage, I have to pay AT&T an extra $20/month, on top of the $200 plus per month I'm already paying them for my wireless bill. But I'm torn, because the device would probably fix my coverage problems. So it would seem that AT&T would have an incentive to create coverage problems so that you'd pay them more.
They are kind enough to lower the price if you use AT&T for your broadband connection. Great... they don't offer the service in my area! But that makes even less sense. They are funneling their traffic through the infrastructure of your broadband provider, so they should actually give you a discount for not having to use their own infrastructure! I can see where this is going too... you pay AT&T $20/month to add this device. Then in a few months Time Warner decides I'm using too much bandwidth and tacks on additional fees to cover AT&T mooching off of their pipes.
As much as I HATE government intervention, with the grueling 2 year contracts the carriers have, the consumer really doesn't have a way to fight this effectively. I either continue to put up with crappy service, or I pay them extra to fix it. Any "voting with your wallet" type of thing here would take 2 years to implement and I'd likely find myself in a similar boat with the next carrier. Never mind the fact that I can't use my device with the other carriers because of another monopolistic policy. This whole wireless market is getting more and more wacky in the US and it is not consumer oriented at all at this point.
They are kind enough to lower the price if you use AT&T for your broadband connection. Great... they don't offer the service in my area! But that makes even less sense. They are funneling their traffic through the infrastructure of your broadband provider, so they should actually give you a discount for not having to use their own infrastructure! I can see where this is going too... you pay AT&T $20/month to add this device. Then in a few months Time Warner decides I'm using too much bandwidth and tacks on additional fees to cover AT&T mooching off of their pipes.
As much as I HATE government intervention, with the grueling 2 year contracts the carriers have, the consumer really doesn't have a way to fight this effectively. I either continue to put up with crappy service, or I pay them extra to fix it. Any "voting with your wallet" type of thing here would take 2 years to implement and I'd likely find myself in a similar boat with the next carrier. Never mind the fact that I can't use my device with the other carriers because of another monopolistic policy. This whole wireless market is getting more and more wacky in the US and it is not consumer oriented at all at this point.
A contrarian voice
I don't really have a dog in this fight, but there is another perspective. Putting cell towers everywhere isn't necessarily attractive, and if you live in a nice area, you may prefer this in-home solution. I remember a couple of years ago in Washington, DC, where I lived, people raised a fuss about cell towers in a park. Well, you can have a nice park, and there's value in that, or cell coverage, but then you need a new tower, and your park isn't so nice anymore. People living in that sort of location may prefer this kind of solution.
Of course, if you're going to pay $20, you need to get some kind of added value, such as unlimited talk time and data, for example. Otherwise it really is a case of AT&T socializing their expense and privatizing their profits. Indeed, it should be free for existing cellular customers as part of the overall package, and only cost more to the extent it adds new features.
I don't really have a dog in this fight, but there is another perspective. Putting cell towers everywhere isn't necessarily attractive, and if you live in a nice area, you may prefer this in-home solution. I remember a couple of years ago in Washington, DC, where I lived, people raised a fuss about cell towers in a park. Well, you can have a nice park, and there's value in that, or cell coverage, but then you need a new tower, and your park isn't so nice anymore. People living in that sort of location may prefer this kind of solution.
Of course, if you're going to pay $20, you need to get some kind of added value, such as unlimited talk time and data, for example. Otherwise it really is a case of AT&T socializing their expense and privatizing their profits. Indeed, it should be free for existing cellular customers as part of the overall package, and only cost more to the extent it adds new features.
Another ATT Mistake
ATT just does not get it.
They ask people to pay $20 a month to improve their poor cell phone reception.
So I think I will ask them to pay me $20 a month for utilizing my broadband connection to help improve their poor cell phone reception.
I already pay them $100 a month now, $30 of which is for 3G on my iPhone. Oh wait, that's right, they still don't have 3G here even though they've told me for 2 years it will be six more months.
This on top of paying for broadband.
As for charging customers nearly $250 a year for bad cell service improvements, I hope they read these forums ... and hope they here me when I say they will lose me as a a customer if they don't start acting like they sincerely care about their customers.
Actually, a better question ... what planet does ATT live on?
ATT just does not get it.
They ask people to pay $20 a month to improve their poor cell phone reception.
So I think I will ask them to pay me $20 a month for utilizing my broadband connection to help improve their poor cell phone reception.
I already pay them $100 a month now, $30 of which is for 3G on my iPhone. Oh wait, that's right, they still don't have 3G here even though they've told me for 2 years it will be six more months.
This on top of paying for broadband.
As for charging customers nearly $250 a year for bad cell service improvements, I hope they read these forums ... and hope they here me when I say they will lose me as a a customer if they don't start acting like they sincerely care about their customers.
Actually, a better question ... what planet does ATT live on?
You do realize how ridiculous this is even if what you say is true. Your unlimited minutes are not using their bandwidth! They are going through your broadband carrier's bandwidth. So you are taking less AT&T resources by using the femtocell, and they want to charge you more for it.
All because 3G service is a lie
I'm squarely inside an AT&T 3G coverage map. Yet I can only get Enterprise connections. If AT&T actually delivered what it claims to (I believe what they are doing is called fraud), they wouldn't need to offer micro cell service-- and charge users more extra for something they already paid for under the original service contract.
I'm squarely inside an AT&T 3G coverage map. Yet I can only get Enterprise connections. If AT&T actually delivered what it claims to (I believe what they are doing is called fraud), they wouldn't need to offer micro cell service-- and charge users more extra for something they already paid for under the original service contract.
Oh if you don't get 3g service at your house we can SELL YOU THIS! For a low monthly fee you fill receive service as YOU expect it. Otherwise we can't guarantee that your phone will work well.. at all..
Can Verizon finally get the Iphone.. Seriously.
Can Verizon finally get the Iphone.. Seriously.
From the FAQ on the website:
I'll gladly pick one of these up and continue to use my normal minute plan rates, as long as it is reasonably priced.
NO!
You DO NOT have to pay an additional $20 a month!
That is ***ONLY*** if you want to get the unlimited calling plan.
You can just buy the unit outright, and use your already established plan minutes just like you do now when you use your cell phone in your home.
The amount of mis-information on this is scaring me.
If you use your 3G cell phone a lot at home, you could actually lower your calling plan and get the $20 unlimited plan and be ahead.
Again, this is only if you want to.
I'm getting this baby!
I need coverage inside my home that I am not getting now.
I don't feel it's AT&T's fault that I live on the skirt of town, with blown in insulation and metal studs in my house.
CAN"T WAIT FOR IT!
People, calm down. There is only a monthly fee if you want UNLIMITED minutes on the MicroCell. If you want it to count for your minutes as normal, there is no monthly fee. The FAQ on the website states this.
Which I am fine with, because I couldn't use up my minutes if I tried.
Some commenter on Engadget Mobile, however, is reporting that the device will be $150. Don't know how much validity to give that; just throwing it out there.
Doesn't matter anyway, based on my zip code, its not available....which does not make any sense. The device is hooked up to the internet, why would it matter where you live (in the continental USA) to use it?
Help!!!
VERIZON HELP US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on Apple. The jump from the Chinese WCDMA to a Verizon CDMA receiver is not HUGE.
at&t- America's Tethered Titanic.
VERIZON HELP US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on Apple. The jump from the Chinese WCDMA to a Verizon CDMA receiver is not HUGE.
at&t- America's Tethered Titanic.
Glad I live in Houston with my 850 Mhz spectrum and great call quality and no dropped calls. YMMV.
nope
this is not accurate, a user has to be authenticated on the device. so, passers by cannot simply latch on to this device.
this is not accurate, a user has to be authenticated on the device. so, passers by cannot simply latch on to this device.
newsflash
everyone has these and AT&T is the last one. it's stupid to build towers to cover every last inch of ground
I totally agree.
If ATT actually asks for money on these, there for once would be a justified class action lawsuit to be brought on by those that live in areas that their coverage maps show good coverage, but there actually are huge holes. Like my house. Like part of my commute.
PEOPLE!
Engadget Mobile reports that AT&T's 3G MicroCell site has gone live as the company is apparently preparing to launch its service that will allow wireless subscribers to utilize their home Internet connection for enhanced voice and data coverage. The news comes on the heels of an anonymous report that service for the new device will cost up to $19.99 per month, although users with either AT&T home phone or Internet service will be charged $9.99 per month and those with both home phone and Internet service from AT&T will be able to utilize the 3G MicroCell service for free.
Signs of iPhone compatibility with the 3G MicroCell service surfaced in an AT&T carrier settings update issued in early February, and AT&T reportedly confirmed in June a launch of the service by the end of 2009.
Article Link: AT&T 3G MicroCell Site Goes Live, Monthly Fees to Be Up to $19.99?
PLEASE READ THE FAQ's HERE:
http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...nguageResults=&locale=en_US&_dyncharset=UTF-8
No, you don't not have to pay $20 per month. ONLY if you want to and no, other people cannot latch on to your service.
READ PEOPLE READ!
True, and what everyone will soon learn is where this tug of war will end up. I myself am doing a one month trial of the iPhone and deciding if the hardware is worth the potential drop in service from Verizon. I have no problems with service at my home and office, but I do see dead spots, one of which I am at often enough that this is worth considering. I don't like the cost of it, but depending on the range of the unit I may go around to a few neighbors and see if they have AT&T and would be willing to pay a few bucks a month to get access to the unit.
My guess is the $20 price point was a highball offer to see how many will bite. If not many do, I bet they'll drop it to $10/month, and at that point I bet the units will start flying off the shelves depending on the actual unit costs. The difference between $20 and $10 is nothing in reality, but it sounds like a lot.
I have no doubt of two things. First that people across the nation will flock to another carrier when they get it (and I am betting it's VZW in 2011 when they get LTE up) and second that in the meantime, if priced right people WILL pay a nominal amount to get their service upgraded, as unfair as it is.
Of course this could all blow up in everyones faces if the broadband providers fight this usage, either with increased rates or port blocking to combat it.
"those with both home phone and Internet service from AT&T will be able to utilize the 3G MicroCell service for free."
Sounds good to me!
Sounds good to me!
say whaaaa??
SO it seems like I'm in the perfect mix for testing this thing out as.. 1) ATT SUCKS in my house which is like <5 miles from the absolute center of town. which in and of itself is ridiculous, but whatever. 2) I live in Charlotte, NC where they're testing this out. and 3) i don't care for unlimited minutes so I aint payin them no more per month.
I'm going by ATT store later today and seeing if i cant get one of these babies.. that is.. after I read the return policy.
I'll post my experiences with it if I do end up getting on today.
SO it seems like I'm in the perfect mix for testing this thing out as.. 1) ATT SUCKS in my house which is like <5 miles from the absolute center of town. which in and of itself is ridiculous, but whatever. 2) I live in Charlotte, NC where they're testing this out. and 3) i don't care for unlimited minutes so I aint payin them no more per month.
I'm going by ATT store later today and seeing if i cant get one of these babies.. that is.. after I read the return policy.
I'll post my experiences with it if I do end up getting on today.
all your calls are still routed to AT&T's network to be routed to whoever you are calling. you are just saving AT&T the expense of building redundant towers
