AT&T’s $150 Adapter to Improve your 3G Signal

Monday, September 21, 2009

For those of you with poor wireless signals, AT&T has a solution for you. You can buy a $150 3G MicroCell that connects to your existing broadband internet connection to boost your wireless signals and 3G data speed. It is like paying for your own decent silverware in a restaurant when the restaurant only offers you flimsy and unusable plastic forks.

AT&T has recently launched their 3G MicroCell in the Charlotte market. We can assume that more markets will be getting their own 3GMicroCell adapters soon. The device will allow you to make wireless calls via the internet. Thus when you are within the range of 3GMicroCell, you will “magically” get full bars on your phone. However you will still be using your wireless minutes unless you pay another $20 per month to gain access to unlimited minutes while using the adapter. Existing AT&T landline and broadband users may get a discount for this service.

3G data speed should also be faster. Though, with Wi-Fi already available through your broadband service, it is unclear why iPhone users would not just use Wi-Fi connection instead.

Using a device to artificially boost wireless signals may be desirable for some iPhone users. However, AT&T’s 3GMicroCell uses your own broadband connection. Is there any reason why users cannot just use voice-over-ip apps to make wireless calls? This whole idea of a signal booster that depends on your own internet connection just seem to be another money making scheme for big companies. AT&T should really be giving them away to folks who have poor wireless receptions to improve their customer satisfaction. They could probably have even given the device to every iPhone customers to help alleviate the heavy data burden on their own strained wireless network.

Via The Apps Machine under AT&T Signal Booster