Verizon to ship femtocells later this month
updated 02:00 pm EST, Mon January 19, 2009
Verizon to ship femtocells
After an FCC leak back in October, it is all but confirmed that Verizon will soon bring a femtocell to market with the Wireless Network Extender, according to an Engadget report. Like Sprint's similar AIRAVE, the Wireless Network Extender can support up to three simultaneous calls and leaves a channel open for emergency calls. The device hooks up to the Internet to let Verizon subscribers make VoIP calls from their cellular CDMA-compatible handsets from up to 5,000 feet away.
Both voice and 1x data calls are supported by the Wireless Network Extender. It also uses a built-in and external GPS antenna to ensure users are keeping the service confined to the United States. Users in a call who leave the range covered by the Verizon femtocell will get their calls automatically handed off to the nearest cell phone tower, provided there is sufficient macro coverage. Verizon will begin selling the extender on January 25th, priced at nearly $250.
