better cell service in Grafton?

[Mike Barskey]

According to this article, Femtocells are popular amongst consumers and gaining in popularity. Sprint is offering the services (limited) in the US now, and other carriers (like AT&T - yay for my iPhone!) might offer it next year.

Femtocells are small devices that act like mini cellular towers. They allow you to get cellular service within a small area - like a home - and transmit the data to the carrier's networks through broadband internet. As long as you have high-speed internet, you can also have cellular (in your home - not city-wide).

Progress. Cool.

[doobie]

That would be sweet, except my internet connection mostly sucks as well....though I'm not in grafton.

[turbo]

tmobile has had a similar type of service for about a year. Only $10/mo for free unlimited calling not only at your house but anywhere else a wifi connection is available. If you leave the wifi zone it automatically switches to cellular, and vice versa. Billing is based on where the call originates, so if you start a call at your house (over wifi) then get in your car and drive away, the entire call is free.

Real world reviews indicate it works pretty well (although not perfectly... as probably anyone who has tried any type of VOIP service can attest). I have been thinking about getting it, the bad part is I would have to get a new phone, only a few models are supported.

~turbo

[Russell Kanning]

interesting

[Pat K]

[ColdSoul]

IPhone blows 

Get a WM phone! There is a ton of free programs for WM phones. And if you wanted you could make your phone look just like a Iphone. The only thing I will give them, is I have heard there screen is a little more responsive, and it has a Hard Drive, but since you can get a 8 or 16 gig card thats pretty much moot as I don't worry about room on my

Also this isn't that great unless your right on the edge of cell service (like for example you get service by a window in your house, but now in the basement) then you can put it in your house, and have ok service all throughout your house.

The person who had one could get reception a couple doors down in there apartment building, but not at hers. So she placed it at the end of the hall and was able to get reception inside there room.

[William]

This is not a cell repeater. To benefit from it, you need to have poor to zero coverage and a broadband internet connection. The connection cannot be from a satellite. This is currently available through sprint. In addition, for $15 per month you can get unlimited calls from your cell phone (incoming and outgoing do not count against your minutes) through the Femtocell.

[AntonLee]

as silly as this might sound, this is the only thing stopping my girlfriend from choosing Grafton as our goal.

[Lloyd Danforth]

We tried this in Grafton, but it is too windy and the messages kept going to the wrong people!

[Mike Barskey]

as silly as this might sound, this is the only thing stopping my girlfriend from choosing Grafton as our goal.

That might be considered good news. It's only a relatively easily surmountable technical obstacle, as opposed to a potentially deal-killing philosophical obstacle.

For me, it's the internet access I'm not yet ready to give up (cell service would be nice, too, but that's not as important), and I think that's probably even easier to get.

[PattyLee loves dogs]

Verizon has pretty good coverage in Grafton. US Cellular does not... even roaming.

[AntonLee]

well we both have Verizon Wireless so that might have relieved some of the opposition.  We just want to be left alone by people with tin on their chests and those silly tyrants that live all around me.  Hell, even if they don't leave us alone I'd much rather they come up to me and tell me their problems with me.

I think I'd be a great neighbor.

[PattyLee loves dogs]

well we both have Verizon Wireless so that might have relieved some of the opposition.

I get my Internet through a Verizon aircard as well. You can extend the range of cellphones and aircards considerably with antennas (Google Wilson antennas... the ones that Verizon sells are pathetic) and amplifiers. Though the signal won't go through a mountain, of course.

[William]

well we both have Verizon Wireless so that might have relieved some of the opposition.

I get my Internet through a Verizon aircard as well. You can extend the range of cellphones and aircards considerably with antennas (Google Wilson antennas... the ones that Verizon sells are pathetic) and amplifiers. Though the signal won't go through a mountain, of course.

My sprint aircard also works in Grafton and Henniker with a Wilson amplifier and antenna.

[Russell Kanning]

as silly as this might sound, this is the only thing stopping my girlfriend from choosing Grafton as our goal.

you will not have coverage in many parts of Grafton ... but in other parts yes
maybe she should experience it while looking at property ... if you are serious about moving there