To my knowledge, the mcell usage will be billed and counted seperate to standard usage when not connected or outside the home/range of the unit
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Microcell Update
- Thread starter proshots4you
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To my knowledge, the mcell usage will be billed and counted seperate to standard usage when not connected or outside the home/range of the unit
Store employees in certain test launch cities were trained this week on the microcell.
So...if you call your store and they know nothing about it, then most likely your city is not going to be a test launch city. Here is a link to an article that states some of the possible early launch cities.
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=181941&f_src=unstrung_sitedefault
So...if you call your store and they know nothing about it, then most likely your city is not going to be a test launch city. Here is a link to an article that states some of the possible early launch cities.
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=181941&f_src=unstrung_sitedefault
Microcell is a nice thing but honestly I would much rather of seen AT&T go with UMA.
UMA is basicly allowing the phone to use a WiFi connection to route all calls threw. Now phones do require a little extra hardware to pull it off but many of T-Mobiles phones with WiFi go UMA. It is much better for consumers in the long run because as more phones get WiFi built it they will just start include UMA chipsets.
AT&T still gets money for cell minutes. More users can get better service indoors with out buying new equipment. Plus it is useful at more places than just your home. With UMA I could go over to my friends house and let my phone hook into there WiFi and be good to go.
UMA is basicly allowing the phone to use a WiFi connection to route all calls threw. Now phones do require a little extra hardware to pull it off but many of T-Mobiles phones with WiFi go UMA. It is much better for consumers in the long run because as more phones get WiFi built it they will just start include UMA chipsets.
AT&T still gets money for cell minutes. More users can get better service indoors with out buying new equipment. Plus it is useful at more places than just your home. With UMA I could go over to my friends house and let my phone hook into there WiFi and be good to go.
If you think about it, it is kind of strange that almost all cell phone companies are more than happy to offload data usage onto wifi, but not voice usage. Are they afraid of losing control of their bread and butter by the minute calling? Or is it more simply that data is a lot easier to offload (its in the phone...carrier does not really have to set anything up) than phone calls (they have to forward calls through a new means...UMA, femtocell, etc).
I called my local store (Austin) and they had never heard of it. I wonder if you will be able to get one online any sooner or if you have to wait for the product to hit your city? When Sprint rolled out the Airwave, it was tested in two cities for about 8 months or more - you could not activate one outside of those test markets even if you had it.
That is what I am wondering too. If the 3g microcell website never comes up before the market test launch, that means that you have to activate it in store. Which means you cant just get a buddy of yours to buy you one.
Also without the website being live one cannot add or subtract approved numbers to the microcell.
Or...even if the website does go live, they could simply restrict activation to GPS coordinate ranges. This seems like a lot of work though. I think ATT will just sell it in those areas to ATT acount holders and let them setup online. So, if one of your friends lives in one of those cities and they have ATT, but they do not need a microcell, then it might work out.
Also, ATT did promise a nationwide launch this year...I am holding them to that.
Also without the website being live one cannot add or subtract approved numbers to the microcell.
Or...even if the website does go live, they could simply restrict activation to GPS coordinate ranges. This seems like a lot of work though. I think ATT will just sell it in those areas to ATT acount holders and let them setup online. So, if one of your friends lives in one of those cities and they have ATT, but they do not need a microcell, then it might work out.
Also, ATT did promise a nationwide launch this year...I am holding them to that.
Zacks Investment Research is reporting the Microcell will launch is select markets next week
http://gizmodo.com/5362680/att-3g-microcell-could-hit-select-markets-in-the-next-week
http://gizmodo.com/5362680/att-3g-microcell-could-hit-select-markets-in-the-next-week
Well I can understand them billing for Voice part since those company still have to track your phone down and route the calls to it. On data with WiFi the cell companies do not have to track down your phone to route data to.
UMA I think is a far better technology than Femtocell.
My little brother used to have that hotspot at home crap on tmo. Dont you have to have one of their hotspot enabled phones for it to work? I never saw him using his N95 with it thats for sure.
Can anyone say if the this at&t microcell will work with gsm (2G/edge)?
I would but one for my girlfriends house, but if it only does 3G, its useless since they dont have 3G phones and refuse to upgrade.
Can anyone say if the this at&t microcell will work with gsm (2G/edge)?
I would but one for my girlfriends house, but if it only does 3G, its useless since they dont have 3G phones and refuse to upgrade.
Well, i just answered my own question. the Microcell is 3G only.
Looks like im back to square one for my girlfriends house. They put 3G on 850, then took 2G back to 1900 (from 850). so now she gets like NO signal in her house.
She has a 2G iphone, dad and brother also have regular GSM phones as well. So unless i can convince them to all get 3G phones, which 3G is actually decent over there......Im going to be stuck in straight to voicemail hell everytime i call her.
damn at&t!!!!!!! this is NOT an smooth transition!
Looks like im back to square one for my girlfriends house. They put 3G on 850, then took 2G back to 1900 (from 850). so now she gets like NO signal in her house.
She has a 2G iphone, dad and brother also have regular GSM phones as well. So unless i can convince them to all get 3G phones, which 3G is actually decent over there......Im going to be stuck in straight to voicemail hell everytime i call her.
damn at&t!!!!!!! this is NOT an smooth transition!
Microcell in Charlotte
Just called my local AT&T store in Charlotte, NC (the one in the Blakeney shopping center if you all are familiar) and they said that they will definitely be on sale this Monday.
It will cost $150, but you can also get a $100 mail in rebate by adding the $20 unlimited calling option that will apply to all lines of a family plan.
This is great news, I can't wait to buy this.
Just called my local AT&T store in Charlotte, NC (the one in the Blakeney shopping center if you all are familiar) and they said that they will definitely be on sale this Monday.
It will cost $150, but you can also get a $100 mail in rebate by adding the $20 unlimited calling option that will apply to all lines of a family plan.
This is great news, I can't wait to buy this.
Local store in Cary NC says it comes out the 25th.
Thats good now my signal and speeds wont suffer cause of all the teenage girls using MMS.
Thats good now my signal and speeds wont suffer cause of all the teenage girls using MMS.
Is that the new AT&T next to Cary Town Centre? Did you ask them how much it costs? I live over in Scottish Hills and I can not make or receive calls in my house. It is very frustrating and last night my wife got so upset she is ready to throw her iPhone in the trash. But I sure hate the thought of paying AT&T extra money because their service is so crappy. It just doesn't seem right. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It really depends on the cost.
No, I called the one down past crossroads. I wasn't sure if the new one was open yet. They said $100 plus $20 a month but if you sign up for DSL as well you get a $150 rebate. They pricing is a little different than the guy form Charlotte, but in the same ballpark.
Well to confuse matters further, I went by the new AT&T and talked to them. They said $150 minus a $100 MIR with no monthly charge. Plus you don't have to change your service plan. If I can get it for $50 I'll do it. But we don't use our minutes now, so would not even consider going to the unlimited plan.
I think all of the confusion over pricing is because the program has not formally started yet. I doubt they would have different deals in different markets...but who knows.
I still think it is VERY smart for ATT to sell at cost (150 dollars) and then try to upsell to an unlimited plan.
On ATT own support/feature microcell website they state the unlimited plan is Not mandatory. The employees will just try their hardest to sell you on it though.
the main site is still password protected...but...the features/support Q&A has been up for about a week now. No info on pricing but it does talk about the unlimited microcell plan and how it is Not mandatory.
http://tinyurl.com/nplxo2
Thanks for the link. Glad to see e-911 capability on the device. It really looks like ATT did their homework on this one. Makes the wait seem not so bad after all.
The only problem I see with all this is that AT&T and Verizon are the top two in the phone market, Sprint and Nextel have big government contracts so if they go anywhere I am sure it will be watched closely by the US Government, and as far as T-Mobile, I think they are just hanging on by a shred.
Sprint/Nextel will be gobbled up by Verizon I am sure because they both use CDMA and Verizon should be able to handle the extra service for the push to talk because no one else has this service and can handle all the nextel users out there, Verizon has its own brand of Push to Talk.
Sprint/Nextel will be gobbled up by Verizon I am sure because they both use CDMA and Verizon should be able to handle the extra service for the push to talk because no one else has this service and can handle all the nextel users out there, Verizon has its own brand of Push to Talk.
AT&T has taken the password protection off of the 3G Microcell website. (http://www.wireless.att.com/3gmicrocell/)
No content is up yet, but there is sure to be something new soon!
No content is up yet, but there is sure to be something new soon!
"Question:
Do I need to subscribe to an AT&T Unlimited MicroCell Calling feature?
Answer:
While highly recommended for maximum benefit, a subscription to AT&T Unlimited MicroCell Calling is not required. Your normal wireless from AT&T minute plan rates will apply. "
To me, this question from the Q&A implies that no extra subscription is necessary, that your normal minutes apply. If that is the case, why would we subscribe to the "unlimited Microcell Calling Feature"? I notice they call it a "feature" and not a "plan".
I think with the added features of the microcell (e-911, strong in building coverage) this may be a landline killer for many folks. For them, the extra $20 a month would be a good deal. I cut the landline ties quite awhile ago and use ip phones which end up only costing me about $5.00 per month, but I don't talk very much. I've got thousands of rollover minutes right now, but I've also got three kids on the cusp of teenage-dom so that might be something I'll have to look at down the road. I know I burned up the phone lines when I was their age. I guess I just don't have as much to talk about anymore
You can either just buy the microcell and then it will still use your normal monthly minutes, or you can buy the microcell and get an unlimited monthly plan that would allow you to get unlimited minutes when connected to the microcell. This would work out well for people who work from home, or if someone has a home phone, they could get rid of it and only pay $20 for unlimited minutes through their microcell. It also seems that you get a $100 MIR if you sign up for the plan, making the microcell only $50.