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AT&T Trialling Free 3G MicroCell Offers

Monday July 12, 2010 11:33 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Engadget reported over the weekend that some of AT&T's "most valuable customers" have been receiving offers for free 3G MicroCell devices, which recently went nationwide after being tested in limited geographic areas. The 3G MicroCell taps into a user's home broadband Internet connection, routing voice and data over the customer's own connection to provide enhanced coverage in areas with weak cellular signal. Carrying a $150 list price, the MicroCell can be used with a customer's own cellular plan minutes for no additional charge or customers can purchase additional MicroCell minutes for a monthly fee.

While we've no clue how widespread AT&T's generosity is, or how you might get one, it appears that the company's "most valuable customers" are now receiving free range-boosting femtocells. Today, loyal reader Jason got a old-fashioned paper letter in the mail, offering his iPhone-wielding family a 3G MicroCell with no strings attached.

Speculation has suggested that customers being signaled out by AT&T for the offer are high-value customers with substantial monthly contracts that are nearing expiration. The MicroCell offer could then be considered an enticement to convince those customers to re-commit to AT&T for a new contract term.

AT&T has reportedly claimed that the free MicroCell offers are part of a trial the company is running to test various methods of offering the device. As Engadget notes, "free" is usually a pretty good method, although the company has provided no additional information on how it is selecting customers for the trial offer.
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sbrhwkp3
24 months ago
Nice. After I shelled out a couple hundred bucks for the stupid thing.
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Consultant
24 months ago
Come on AT&T,

iPhone 4 users should be able to get a portable version in a backpack! ;)

Wait, maybe Apple should offer that instead.
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zhaofa90
24 months ago
so we have to pay $150 for a device to make AT&T coverage not suck?

hmm
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aardwolf
24 months ago
I looked at a MicroCell at my local AT&T store yesterday, and it was listed at $150 before a $100 rebate. So, it's currently $50.
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iBookG4user
24 months ago
This is rather ridiculous that you continue to use your minutes when you make a call through this even though you are using up your own bandwidth.
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JodyK
24 months ago
So how does this thing work? It pulls a 3g over the air signal on it's own or does it pull off your existing Internet / broadband coverage?
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dernhelm
24 months ago
They should give them out free to perspective customers that can't purchase ATT because they have zero coverage in their home.

They would if they were smart, anyway.
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bbotte
24 months ago
So it uses your minutes, on your broadband and invites all your neighbors to use their iphones through your broadband too to free up cell towers? I'm not that nice of a neighbor. This service should be a discount on your bill each month.
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product26
24 months ago
what the **** does this have to do with apple?
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lshaner
24 months ago
Considering that the point of such a device is to make up for crappy AT&T signal, these should just be offered to anyone who lives in a signal black-hole. I live in such a black-hole and it's always been a black-hole for as long as we've been on AT&T. Were it not for the iPhone and that we travel more than we are home, we wouldn't put up with it.

So, AT&T, gimme gimme! ;-)
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