AT&T to trial 3G femtocells next year – In-home cell towers coming to AT&T
By Will Park on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 1:04 PM PST In AT&T, Announcements, Technologies
The femtocell push has hit the US GSM ecosystem. Sprint’s Airave femtocell is already on market and ready to boost Sprint (NYSE: S)’s CDMA signal for customers with weak signal reception in their homes. Today, we are hearing that AT&T (NYSE: T) is looking to trial their own 3G GSM femtocell solution next year.
Femtocells are essentially miniaturized cellular base stations that broadcast wireless signals in homes with spotty cellular signal reception. Voice and data communications are relayed back and forth through the customer’s high-speed broadband internet connection. Wireless carriers look to femtocells to boost signal strength without having to build out expensive cellular towers.
And, following in Sprint’s footsteps, AT&T is preparing to introduce their own femtocell solution in limited trials next year. John Stankey, chief executive of AT&T’s Operations division, says that AT&T’s GSM femtocell will one-up Sprint’s CDMA solution with its support for 3G voice and data communication. Support for 3G cellular communication may just bring femtocells into the mainstream, assuming AT&T’s trials pan out.
[Via: AP]
I have an Iphone 3G that I bought less than a year ago and in buying it I had to get a new 2 year subscription. I am out of town uite a bit and where I go there is not hardly any signal. I have a close friend that has Verizon and has very good signal. Unless you can get me that femtocell or Microcell to help me run my business right away I am very seriously thinking about getting rid of this iphone, paying whatever I need to and go to Verizon, buy a new phone and get their service. At least I can talk on the phone for my business anywhere. But maybe you (AT&T) can keep me if you can get me on 3G Microcell trial system.
Please let me know at jubalmcnatt@hotmail.com or 916-257-8153.
Thank you,
Jubal McNatt
President
HMR Construction Inc.