Verizon launches Network Extender femtocell solution
There’s nothing better than the smell of on-time launches in the morning. Earlier this week we learned that Verizon Wireless had a treat in store for users in low coverage areas and lo and behold, Big Red made good on the release date. The “Verizon Wireless Network Extender”, Verizon’s femtocell solution, is now available on its website. To refresh your memory, femtocell is essentially a small cell tower that allows users to get cellular-based services via a broadband connection. Beyond the release date, the rumored $249.99 price point was spot on as well, making this puppy way more expensive than Sprint’s Airave. We’re sure those of you with a need for some femtocell goodness will jump on it regardless. As far as specs are concerned, all you need to know is that the Network Extender is compatible with all Verizon handsets, up to three phones can use it simultaneously, a fourth channel is always open for 911 calls and it has a 5,000-foot broadcast radius. Who’s in?
I am not 100% sure >> but doesn’t Sprint’s Femtocell cost extra per month? As in some type of service plan… Just wanted to point out the fact that Verizon Wireless Network Extender does not cost anything more than the original out the door price.
Yessir – depending on the plan you choose, it’s between $5 and $25 per month.
When will ATT offer their customers a femtocell? I keep hearing rumors, but I still can’t use my cellphone at my house! Come on already!!!!!!
@vzw4sho,
I have a Sprint Airave, and the charge is $4.99/monthly.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
Of course, the real leverage of the Airave or Network Extender is to retain subscribers on their particular brand of CDMA, as few will be willing to simply trash it (plus their phone/accessories/software/etc) after a year or 2’s contract to go to GSM. It is also clearly both carrier’s intent to streamline users under the same roof onto the same carrier.
Anyone aware if using competing brands simultaneously causes any interference or not?
I bought a Wilson amplifier with indoor and outdoor antennas, along with cabling and a kit to let me use my cell phone to tune the antenna for the best signal. It cost me over $700, just to get a cellular signal indoors. Too bad this wasn’t available then.
According to the network extender site, there’s not an extra monthly charge from VZW, just the $249 initially.
I actually like the one-time fee of $250.00 rather than paying monthly.
Just as long as its configurable (webproxy, firewall) and since it only handles a finite number of phones simultaneously – possibly a way to lock it down like you can do with MAC addresses on a WiFi AP.
I have it for free. I LOVE SPRINT! THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO ME. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
SPRINT!!!!!HOPE YOU GUYS GET IT TOEGHTER.
From what I understand, this solution does not work with 3g. So, if you are looking to get some high speed on your phone while at home…. Think again
The device supports a max of 3 handsets simultaneously and a 4th is always open for 911 dialing.
By reading the setup instructions the device has to be placed in a window seal, to acquire a GPS signal, so that’s the first problem.
The next problem is that it does not have wireless functionality to communicate with a router. You must run an ethernet cable from a router to the device for it to function.
So for everyone that has computers setup in a den or living room away from a window, as I know most to have done, the issue will be whether they wish to run a 20 to 30 ft ethernet cable to a window seal.
If the device indeed works I would cancel my abysmal Vonage VoIP that sounds like i’m talking into a styrofoam cup.
I’m still scratching my head on this one. $250 to use my broadband pipe, and my Verizon Wireless plan minutes.
Plus, according to the specs, any VZW handset can access your femtocell, but you can put in a priority list so that your approved handsets will get preferential treatment.
Calls over the femtocell should not be included in plan minutes. You should also be able to exclude all handsets except for the ones you specify.
Good idea…poor execution.
femtocell + the new VOIP phone from verizon wireless = the future?
I have a hard time buying that, and I work there.
@ NotHTCkid
Verizon will trace your IP and you will be fired by 9:01am tomorrow morning
$100 and a $5 monthly fee is a better option. Do the math.
Verizon costs $150 dollars more, but $60 less a yr to operate. So it’ll take 3 years to break even. Plus, you have to shell out that money now, instead of keeping it in the bank – time value of money. Are you that confident you want to be with Verizon in 3 years? Technology changes so fast – who knows what 3 years will bring with 4G devices coming.
^Let’s do the math, shall we, indeed.
Sprint: $100 + $180(3-yrs use) = $280
Verizon: One-time fee = $250
The ‘better’ option, regarding the $30 advantage for Verizon, is in the eye of the beholder, Sport.
Where did you obtain your accounting credentials?
In 3 years they should be in LTE, they plan to be there by the end of the ‘09. Maybe this could be upgraded to that, I like the fact that no added cost to use it is present but no unlimited option is a drag.
The sprint model is a better option all the way, their unit only cost you $99 and for $10 more you get unlimited calling they have a monthly charge of $4.99 which they will quickly wave for you if you ask, the verizon box on the other end cost you $250 and does nothing more than extend the service your suppose to be getting already while they piggy back your bandwith that your also paying, also i don’t know if you notice but 5000 square feet is pretty crappy it’s about 70 feet from the base which is also pretty bad, my opinion this thing is not worth a dime is they don’t include a unlimited calling with it
Ya there is a monthly fee withs Sprint’s Airrave, but it only costs $100 not a ridiculous $250 for something that will become obsolete when the days of LTE arrive.
@nerdherder, No they won’t be obsolete when LTE arrives, LTE is pretty much just for data and it will never be as fast as WiFi, Femtocells just extend your voice coverage nothing to do with Data, LTE is also a few years away from initial deployment and by the time it’s fully deploy it will also be obsolete, the US is not the size of japan where you could wire the entire country in like 2 years we are big as F*ck
Unlike WiFi, this technology is carrier-specific. It will only work with Verizon. WiFi is something you already have at home, and which is already available in hundreds of millions of locations worldwide. WiFi can also be generated easily in those hotel rooms around the world. With WiFi, all services also work (including all data), not just circuit-switched voice. For these reasons, I think T-Mobile USA’s solution of using dual-mode WiFi handsets is a lot smarter. Just imagine if you’ve got several carriers in your household and/or business — Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile — why have several Femtocells (one per carrier) when it ought to be enough to just simply have WiFi? And if you have a large space — larger than 5,000 square feet — you need multiple Femtocells for each carrier. In contrast, T-Mobile USA guarantees flawless in-building coverage virtually for free, thanks to WiFi.
^Copy/Paste your meta-analysed, shill-shit elsewhere, Idiot. Fuckin’ Christ!
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/01/25/verizon-gets-official-with-network-extender-249-no-monthly-fe/#readercomments
On the other hand, my BlackBerry from T-mobile has UMA built in, which means it uses my home WiFi at no cost to me, with *any* calls inbound or outbound costing me no minutes on my plan. The same goes for when I am on the road and able to use the WiFi connection (for example, in a restaurant or hotel). Better still is that the data I access is at 802.11g speeds, instead of using EDGE (since there is no 3G yet in my area).
The reason for this is the same as for Verizon–it is cheaper to allow callers to use an internet connection than to build another cell tower. The key difference, though, is that T-Mobile charges me nothing for the ability (after all, it is ultimately to T-mo’s benefit that I use the phone and have a good experience than suffer through bad coverage), while Verizon wants its customers to pay $250 for the device and then still charge them minutes for the calls. In addition, this service doesn’t offer any 3G goodness to the subscribers on the extender (which means a Verizon customer using that extender is at a disadvantage to me using WiFi on my BlackBerry for data purposes).
Any reason why I ditched Verizon years ago?
Once ANY of these things start supporting data coverage, count me in. Until then… pass.
Glad I have my $20 router that works with TMO! Not to mention the monthly savings!