Three Release femtocell

www.three.co.uk/homesignal

Can only obtain it via 2nd line tech support and only if your in contract and not on sim only contract.

Lodged my request earlier, will take it apart when I get it.

Sweet they said they were going to do something when I asked not long ago and that they didn't want me getting and installing a signal amplifier for my flat.. Didn't think it would be this soon.

Looks like I'll have to call back during office hours

It seems what they are doing is routing calls over VOIP. It would be easier and cheaper to get a VOIP account or am I missing something?

these femtocell boxes that most of the networks now have (except o2) give full cell functions mms sms etc not just calls

I should hopefully be getting a call back from 2nd line tech support about getting a femtocell.

A femtocell is all about providing a seamless service supporting sms, mms, calls and data as if you were still on the 'normal' network. Data isn't important as that'll go over wi-fi but calls and sms don't/can't currently.

What I really want to see is if Three's solution will actually would over PPPoE connections which Vodafone's sure signal box doesn't support. If it does this could be the answer for many rural customers that use alternative (fixed wireless) broadband due to no ADSL being available.

Oranges UMA is probably a mush better solution but not supported by my iPhone (only supported by a select few phones) and I'm still in contract with Three.

Did they say 72 hours for the call back from 2nd line?

I want to see what RF chips are in it...
(UMTS / HSPxA / HSPA+ / LTE....)

Within 24 hours.

Well it's a NEC femtocell why not just look at their web site?!

http://www.nec.com/en/global/solutions/nsp/3g/produc...

It's HSPA... not much info there but hay ho. What does it matter? Use WiFi for data! I couldn't care if it was only 2G or basic 3G as long as it does what it's meant to.

Not (yet) available in my post code.

They gave me a months credit (~£35) as a good will gesture instead.

Interestingly they also said that there are problems with 2 of 5 masts in the area that can provide coverage to my post code but my phone mostly connects back to the mast up by the university in Canterbury, yet I'm in central Canterbury and there are other masts nearer.

IIt's actually provided by Ubiquisys (UK) ltd
http://www.ubiquisys.com/

3G Mini Spec - Spec for the unit (G3-mini) shown

the intention is to provide 3G coverage to all phones,
in locations without good coverage (rural/none or deep/in-building)
and without setting up a Wifi connection (which not all 3G phones have).
Or competing for Wifi Spectrum.

And yes, supports all the phone services.

I think your understanding between the difference of a manufacturer and distributor are incorrect. It is made by NEC and Ubiquisys are a UK seller of NEC products.

Got my call back from 2nd line support and it was agreed!
That was Wednesday, arrived via DPD this morning.

Easy to setup took 5-10 mins to download the config / connect to Three.
Watched the bars on my phone increase from flicking between zero and one to a full 4 bars.
Reported as -71dBm and 21 asu (Galaxy S2)
I am sat around 10 meters from the unit, wandered around the house and keeps full signal in every room, tried the bathroom for no reason!

to bad you need to keep it in the car thought (take it to work or other houses)

still think UMA is an cheaper solution some android phones have it, the Samsung S2 has it, but they should state that its not compatible with all wireless routers (you should always test it make sure the call stays on for more then 5 seconds {call 150 or 333} and that UMA stays on ( http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly tick Signal booster)

what Three need to do is put up more masks and make sure they are not so far apart from each other (3g hates walls) in housed areas they need to be less then 1-1.5 miles apart or even closer as the Three tower from me is only 1mile away but there are 15-20 houses between me and it so the phone randomly works even thought it has 2 bars but that means nearly loss of signal on android phones (i been using giffgaff that uses O2 and they seem to get mask placements mostly right or have More dense 3g network as i norm get good 3g indoors or they are using the 800/900 band for 3g as i have seen on wiki, so less Dead spots), there is an Orange tower that would love Three to be enabled on it (t-mobile and Three seem to be using the same mask that has the signal issues where i am)

i just put my Three sim back into my HTC desire (£15 all-you-can-eat add-on) see if they fixed the coverage around here, but they have not and speed is not that grate as well avg speed is less then 1.5mb i had issue with youtube stalling some times as well, i even got an txt mesg that was an bit late as well (my brother has Three phone says its not that reliable has signal but can't use calls or internet randomly)

2 bars does not mean its about to loose signal, but its all relative , 2 bars on my HTC desire is -101dbm which is a perfectly usable signal.

I also would image that three have better spaced masts for the spectrum they use seeing as they started from a clean slate - whereas others will be using legacy sites in places.

O2 will benefit in areas' like your with 900Mhz but that will change if/when Three get some of the 800Mhz band.

but if that's the signal out side most likely going to be less inside, if you can keep that -101 you should be ok (i really think android should remap the bars like iphone has so not to hide bad or low mobile coverage)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3821/iphone-4-redux-an...

just where i am t-mobile and Three 3g coverage is spotty even thought it has around -101 signal, looks like its the same mask for both (2g coverage is fine for t-mobile)

the 800 band i think there getting only for LTE role out, just hope Three use Dual LTE masks to get the higher end speeds as they need it

Edited by leexgx (Mon 12-Mar-12 09:03:46)

Any idea if or when this would be available to people on a sim only contract?

Hi it is only avaliable to 24 month contract customers only not sim only

over PPPoE connections which Vodafone's sure signal box doesn't support

mine seemed to work with PPPoE, it wouldn't know anyway as it's sat on a NAT address.

It seems what they are doing is routing calls over VOIP

not sure why you say that, in general femtocells use a VPN back to the network to handle stuff securely and allow "roaming" from the femtocell back to the outside world and vice versa.

In the past when I have had problems I have made calls at home via WiFi, Don't think Virgin were impressed with me using my 30Mbit connection to make calls via 3.

It is a pity Skype wont work via WiFi.

why would it not work ?

Skype using next to nothing bandwidth wise they would not even notice

Post deleted by billford

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(Sorry, first thing that popped into my head when I read the thread title.)

That's because your brain picked up the "ee" of Three, (as in "please") and associated it with the rhyming "Release". Prove me wrong if you can .

Bob.

No argument, I'd have suggested 'femtocell' brings to mind 'let me go' as well.