Friday, September 25, 2009

Femtocells: Don't Pay Per Month

AT&T recently announced the availability of their version of "femtocell", a cellular repeater that extends coverage into small, indoor areas like a house or an office (one step smaller than a pico-cell). AT&T joins Sprint and Verizon Wireless who offer a similar device, with a similar cost and a similar monthly charge. It's great to see carriers addressing one of the most perplexing problems: indoor coverage. However, there are many other extended coverage solutions already available to us, with no monthly charge!

Prices for some cellular extenders are considerably cheaper than those offered by the carriers. We found one cellular "extender", or repeater, for about $160, for both 850 and 1900 MHz service and aren't limited to one carrier (although few of them work with Nextel (iDEN) phones). Some carriers sell theirs for as much as $250.

If you're considering a femtocell, look at the types not associated with one carrier. You'll make everyone in the office happy, or give yourself a way to finally cut the cord at home.

1 comment:

William said...

Bill, thanks for the post. I've been looking to get a femtocell for my residence for a few months now, and didn't want to pay an outrageous amount for one. Thanks again for the info!