AT&T has opened a dedicated page for its forthcoming in-home femtocell solution in the 3G Microcell manufactured by UK firm ip.access and branded by Cisco. The unit had been undergoing extensive trials since October of last year after AT&T signed an agreement in the summer with the aforementioned English manufacturer.
The 3G Microcell has a similar featureset to the Samsung ubicell units used on Sprint and Verizon with GPS location support used for provisioning, support for 10 users with 4 dedicated combination 3G voice/data channels for selected users plus one dedicated channel for emergency calling, online management of femtocell access to prevent unauthorized usage, and high-speed data capability, which the Samsung ubicell also features despite reports to the contrary from other less knowledgeable news organizations.
Just like the Airave, and Network Extender, the Microcell will require a high-speed internet connection with the minimum speed requirement being higher than the Samsung unit owing to the UMTS standard being used for data and voice traffic.
No release or pricing details are known at this time, but speculation points to a February release of the unit, which will require a dedicated usage plan in the vein of the Sprint Airave with unlimited usage plans being made available for individuals and families.
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Interesting that AT&T femtocell will allow 3G data transmission but Sprint’s and Verizon’s won’t. On the other hand, what’s the point of 3G data via broadband anyway? Wlouldn’t I just use wi-fi or ethernet to use the broadband directly?
[...] evidence of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T – message board)’s fondness for femtocells has been uncovered: A new page on the operator’s Website reveals a Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO – message [...]
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