On Monday, Vodafone UK relaunched its femtocell product, hoping that new pricing and a shiny new brand will encourage take-up of the 3G-boosting devices.
Femtocell is a small device that plugs into a broadband line and improves indoor mobile coverage by boosting the signal. But it also has the added benefit, for operators at least, of moving that voice and data traffic off the cellular network and onto the fixed line network, which in many cases is provided by another operator entirely.
But in the first stage, as successfully demonstrated by the US carriers, the most readily understood, and urgently needed, benefit is indoor penetration. In October, a survey of UK mobile users by ADC found that 27.6 per cent of respondents believed their work had suffered because of weak cellphone reception indoors at home or the office.
The Sure Signal offers a minimum1Mbps download when connected to a broadband line, and can be registered with up to 32 different mobile phones and used by up to four Vodafone handsets at the same time.
Vodafone is now offering the device for a one-off cost of £50, or £5 per month for a year, to home users on plans of £25 or more per month. For home users on plans of less than £25 per month, Sure Signal will cost £120, or £5 per month for 24 months.