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AT&T 3G Microcell Now Available to All Customers

Jun 22, 2010, 2:06 PM by Philip Berne

AT&T has expanded availability of its Microcell 3G device to all of its wireless markets, according to comments from Gordon Mansfield, an Executive Director for Radio Access Networks at AT&T. Lightreading.com reported those comments as part of a speech at the Femtocells World Summit in London. Mansfield also explained the company's policy of deducting Microcell 3G data usage from a customer's overall data cap, explaining that all handset data eventually travels through AT&T's backend, even though the Microcell 3G uses a customer's existing broadband Internet connection.

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Comments

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This forum is closed.

dwx

Jun 22, 2010, 5:01 PM

maybe AT&T should use there heads for a change...

I'm not sure what kind of Cool Aid the guys over at AT&T are drinking, but you'd think after all the negative press and user sentiment over their new "low data cap" plans that they'd want to be cool about usage via the Microcell.

The ridiculous reasoning that Mansfield offers doesn't make any sense. The whole, "well, it goes through our network" argument is irrelevant. I guess if I wanted to draw a parallel, I'd be able to charge a toll to any AT&T employee that walks on my property. It would be unreasonable, and I don't try to do so because it undermines the relationship I have with AT&T, and in the end if I pushed the issue, they just wouldn't come on my property (i.e. they'd stop subscribing to my service).

Similarly, AT&T should re...
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Versed

Except for my message in this thread, I couldn't agree with you more. At least don't count microcell data off one's limited data plan.

Oddly, I might understand if they were losing money, they aren't. They made more then any cell carrier in the U...
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EPIC_TRUTH

Jun 22, 2010, 8:51 PM

Why not UMA instead?

Why do all these idiotic carriers other than Tmobile disable their smartphone's ability to place calls over wifi and relieve congestion on their networks and allow customers to have reception in the one place they'll notice it the most, in thier own homes? The sheer greed of the carriers is ludicrous, they do this mainly to prevent business travellers from saving money roaming when they are such a small segment of their users, instead they could make so many of their customers happier and more satisfied. Instead they're going to force a person to buy another box that'll fill the landfill just so they can have reception in their homes? If ATT wanted to relieve a lot of their network congestion simply enable the iphone's ability to make wif...
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muchdrama

EPIC_TRUTH said:
Why do all these idiotic carriers other than Tmobile disable their smartphone's ability to place calls over wifi and relieve congestion on their networks and allow customers to have reception in the one place they'

...
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GeekBro

Jun 22, 2010, 11:26 PM

Hmmm iPhone release and Microcell release

This fixes a lot of issues that iPhone users not being able to make calls in the house. I have an unlimited plan and WiFi will always be the default on my phone. And with AT&T being a player in Global WiFi, UMA will be coming soon.

justfinethanku

Jun 22, 2010, 6:06 PM

Alright, this makes sense/doesn't make sense.

Why would the Microcell need to be 3G? Wouldn't it be more convenient and simpler to simply offer really good wi-fi and JUST voice calling? Just about any real phone that does 3G on ATT and would require a lot of data use would also have wi-fi on-board... am I right or not?

kingstu

They charge you for the microcell hardware. You pay for your local broadband service. You use up your data if you are not automatically switching to Wifi. You pay, they save by not having to add new cell sites near your house.

Sometimes you can set...
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