Verizon Wireless to improve indoor cell coverage

Verizon Wireless subscribers who get spotty cell phone coverage at home or in the office could soon have a solution as the company rolls out a new service that will improve indoor coverage.

A Verizon Wireless spokesman confirmed a story on the Web site Unstrung that stated the company expects to introduce its first femtocell product early next year. Femtocells are compact wireless base stations that boost cellular signals indoors to provide enhanced coverage up to 5,000 square feet. A single device can typically handle up to three calls at a time.

The way the device works is that it boosts the cellular signal indoors so that multiple phones can make and receive phone calls or send and receive data. The device then connects to a broadband connection to send the call over the Internet. This means that cell phone signals can be boosted indoors in a house or office that typically doesn't get good cell phone reception.

But boosting your cell signal isn't cheap.

Sprint Nextel started selling its femtocell product called Airave nationwide in August. The actual femtocell radio, which looks like a broadband router, sells for $99.99. Subscribers must also pay a monthly fee of $4.99 for the "enhanced coverage." And then they either pay $10 a month for unlimited calls for a single line or $20 a month for unlimited calls on multiple phones.

The good news is that when using the femtocell, Sprint customers are not using any of their monthly minutes. So this might allow people to scale down to a lower cost cell phone plan.

Details of a Verizon femtocell haven't been announced yet. All the company has said so far is that it's testing the technology, and it could have a product ready by early next year. But the company is not talking publicly about pricing or availability.

Femtocell services are similar to a service offered by T-Mobile called HotSpot @Home. The main difference is that T-Mobile's service uses unlicensed Wi-Fi signals indoors to transmit calls between handsets and routers. Femtocells use licensed cellular spectrum to connect calls between handsets and the home radio/router. This means that T-Mobile HotSpot @Home users have to use a special phone that switches between Wi-Fi and the cellular network, whereas subscribers using a femtocell solution can use their regular cell phones.

That said, HotSpot @Home and femtocell services are a very cost-effective way for cell phone operators to transmit phone calls, because they help the carriers preserve capacity on their licensed spectrum. And because these services help reduce the amount of traffic traversing the cellular network, they could potentially improve overall quality of the entire network by reducing congestion.

When you look at it this way, the cell phone operators shouldn't actually be charging customers an extra fee to use these services. They should be giving it away for free in exchange for making their networks more efficient.

[clintbradford]

>>...cell phone operators shouldn't actually be charging customers an extra fee to use these services...

I do not expect my cell phone - nor my commercial/amateur two-way radios - to work in a basement or in an underground parking structure or in a steel building.

BDA - bi-directional antennas - have been available for years, and can be used to distribute radio signals throughout a building. In many locales, BDA are mandatory: Some fire departments refuse to enter commercial structures unless there is a BDA system in place so that they can communicate with their emergency personnel throughout the building.

A consumer who expects 100% coverage in all situations from a mere cell phone is expecting too much from the technology, in my humble opinion.

Clint Bradford
Mira Loma CA

[i_am_still_wade]

Verizon Wireless ... we never stop overcharging you!

[studiodave56]

Verizon Wireless ... we always stop working for you.

This is exactly the problem that I go through every month with Verizon and the cell tower is less than 1,500 feet from my wood frame house. Verizon completely denies anything is ever wrong. Verizon - 30 days to go, hello ATT.

[ideckard]

Hello ATT, hello new set of problems! My father has ATT with the exact same issues. We called and they wouldn't even send someone out with a meter to check the tower reception in the area. I am still waiting on someone in management to call me back (2 months and counting). Their customer service needs to be reworked because they just pay you lip service. Do as much research as you can about all the providers in your area before you switch.

[joeronimo]

I hardly ever reply to posts...not really my thing. So that's kind of a clue at how dissappointed I was with ATT. I'm not partial to any company or product out there. Whatever it is...I want the best for the least and it sounds like you do to. I've used both companies, and waffled back and fourth for the same reason. Verizon's reception area blows away ATT's. I work mostly in suburbs of K.C. but live in K.C. With ATT, I dropped calls all the time..... in my driveway. The only thing taller than house rooftops for 5 miles....is cell towers. It wasn't just my phone either. My wife's company phone, also my neighbors co. phone , which also was used as his home phone. (OH yeah...he lives on the hill). The only thing worse than Verizon's price and bullying crap if you're late with a payment once...which is why I switched from Ver. to ATT, is their crap reception and customer sevrvice. Lost reception waiting on hold...with them more than once! lol Anyways, you might wanna rethink your decision to switch, or at least take the month to ask around. 1 more thing....if you do switch and you happen to hit roaming areas, it's ironic who's towers ATT uses most....I'll stop there. Good luck either way you choose.