New York – Verizon Wireless has started selling a book-sized device that boosts cell phone signals within a home for $250, making it easier for people to drop a home phone line and rely solely on wireless.
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The Verizon Wireless Network Extender needs to be connected to a broadband Internet line. Then it acts a miniature cellular tower, listening for signals from a subscriber’s cell phone. It covers up to 5,000 square feet, the company said Monday.
Such devices are known as “femtocells.” Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest carrier, is following in the footsteps of Sprint Nextel Corp., which started selling a femtocell under the Airave brand nationwide last year.
The Airave costs $100, but Sprint charges an extra $5 per month for use. Verizon Wireless is not charging a monthly fee.
AT&T Inc. is testing femtocells in employees’ homes, and plans to conduct customer trials in at least one market in the second quarter, spokesman Mark Siegel said.
The Verizon Wireless and Sprint femtocells are made by Samsung Electronics Co. and relay voice and low-speed data connections. The AT&T unit will also relay fast “3G” data connections.
T-Mobile USA has chosen a different technological route to expand indoor coverage. It sells Wi-Fi routers and phones that can place calls over Wi-Fi in addition to regular wireless calls.
Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.
A friend of mine in the Albany has the T-Mobile solution. He loves it. He keeps a landline for 911 and for power failures. This is a great technology.
I wonder if it will work in the country (bungalow colonies)?
Bring the cancer box straight into your living room – what a great idea!
where can i buy this toy
this verizon machine does NOT give off radio waves of any kind (so u will hav to smoke outside!)
While Sprint charges a fee, that also means that minutes used through Airave are free minutes, and don’t count toward minutes used.
Sprint has had this for a while already
does your computer need to be on 24/7 & do u have to be connected online all the time
this is awsome (like me) but i would not worry abt. the cancer part for all you smart people, a tv a micro wave and a cell phone all give off radatoin and there was only one case ever that a person died of raidatoin poisoning