Sprint Airave

Sprint coverage is so bad that they need to ship a box with every phone? Can't I just use cordless skype? ;-) That's free too, and the box is a USB dongle.

True, and a WiFi-enabled phone with Skype loaded on it could serve as an in-the-home alternative. But there would be no seamless hand-off if you are on your mobile and arrive home to find a gap in your carrier's network coverage. You'd have to hang up (or get disconnected) and access the Skype application to proceed. But I see your point--is the extra trouble worth saving the money? Maybe. Maybe not. -Brian

Skype has an approved partner service known as MobiVOX check it out at MobiVox.com. I have been a user of that goes back to the beta trials. It would enable you to hand off any call you originate from any ohone in the world to any other phone listed in your MobiVox profile. IE. Mobile, Home, work etc.
I even use it to hand off calls to a Sat phone as well.

Give it a try it has amazing easy to use services that are mostly voice controlled if one chooses or use the key pad. Also provides near free international services from many countries to cal any one that is a skype user listed in your Skype Directory.

Simply amazing.

Gene

WAY too expensive! I'll keep my landline.

Hot-diggity-dog!! If Engadget's report is accurate concerning a nationwide Femtocell rollout on July 15th, count me in!!! While I'd hope and prefer that Verizon makes the same move for its customers who have zilch for an in-home signal, if they drag their feet, my 20 years with Verizon (and its various predecessors) is h-i-s-t-o-r-y.

Can I take this with me when I travel and continue to get free unlimited minutes even when I'm in another country?

Nope, it will be limited to work only in a specific area i.e like your area code.

Perhaps I have missed the point but it seems that this is a plan to have consumers subsidize Sprint's infrastructure. Why would I want to buy this equipment, be charged additional monthly fees, and let them ride my ISP connection free of charge (through another provider)? According to my understanding, this provides them the benefit of off loading capacity from their network and onto an ISPs broadband connection.

Please enlighten me as to the benefit to the consumer.

You are exactly right. The whole femtocell at home is a testimony to how screwed up the cellular wireless services are. As you have pointed out, the idea of having a "femtocell" at home is nothing but having customers subsidize the cellular company's infrastructure and free ride our ISP connection. And it is not just Sprint. All the four major cellular operators sell their services based on false advertising, making customers think that their sevice works seamlessle while they know very well that it does not.

The idea of a femtocell at home not only proves that the cellular providers are dishonest in their claim of seamless coverage, it does not work quite as advertised either.

FierceBroadbandWireless reports today (July 3, 2008) that:

"While the enthusiasm for femtocells continues unabated, several of the mobile operators that have lead the charge are having second thoughts due to unresolved technical issues and unclear business cases."