Solve network problems with mini-towers
Wednesday, 07 April 2010, 15:10 IST   |    1 Comments
Printer Print Email Email
Solve network problems with mini-towers
San Francisco: Do you face the network problem at home or workplace? Here is good news. You can resolve this problem with putting a miniature cell tower in your living room. These mini-towers act and look like Wi-Fi hot spots at cafes, and redirect cellphones calls from congested cell towers to home Web connections. Christina Zachariades, 28, of Manhattan who already pays $130 a month for iPhone service but cannot receive or make calls in her fifth-floor apartment on the Upper East Side, said, "It's a fabulous idea, especially if you can't get service, but to charge for it is insulting. How much more do I have to pay to get the service required for me to use my phone?" But although AT&T says its mini-towers will help in that kind of situation, it also says that it wants to help iPhone users who cannot get consistent signals. The company, which has been testing such devices in a few markets, plans to officially start selling this month what it calls 'MicroCells' in a few places for $150, reports New York Times. Speaking on this issue, AT&T Spokesman, Mark Siegel said that consumers frustrated by iPhone service and concerned about paying for a MicroCell were asking a fair question. But, he said, "We are taking significant steps to improve our service." And a mini-tower, he added, was another alternative. Industry analysts feel that mini-towers, known as femtocells, are poised for spectacular growth. Shipments should grow from 571,000 this year, to 1.9 million next year, to 40 million by 2013, according to iSuppli, a market research firm.

siliconindia