Install Your Own Cellular Network Cell at Home

Product not yet tested by editor. The following description is from the manufacturer.

Do you have poor cell phone coverage at home or at the office? Do you use Sprint as your cell phone provider? Do you have a broadband internet connection?

If you answered "yes" to all three questions, there is a new solution for you. Sprint is now selling femto cell equipment.

The Sprint unit is called an AIRAVE. It provides cell phone coverage in areas that do not receive strong signals from a nearby cell tower. This unit is not a repeater or a signal booster. It does not connect to a cell tower at all. While you use your cell phone in the normal manner, the telephone calls (or "backhaul") are carried over any broadband cable modem, DSL, or fiber optic Internet connection. (Satellite Internet coverage is not recommended.)

The AIRAVE's key features include:

• Works with any Sprint phone — up to three users at the same time.
• Installs in minutes with your existing broadband Internet access, such as DSL, cable or T1.
• Unlimited incoming and outgoing calls, including nationwide long distance, when using your Sprint phone and initiating your call on the device (requires an AIRAVE unlimited calling plan).
• Automatically transfers calls to the Sprint Nationwide Network once you leave your home or office.
• Limit access to your AIRAVE by creating a list of up to 50 approved Sprint phone numbers.

What You'll Need

• Active Sprint phone(s)
• Sprint voice plan
• Broadband Internet access, such as DSL, cable or T1.
• Available Ethernet port — either on your modem or via a router — to connect AIRAVE to your broadband data service.
• Available power outlet

Pricing

• Sprint AIRAVE Base Station - $99.99/each (requires activation at time of purchase and subscription to an AIRAVE plan. Excludes taxes.)
• AIRAVE Enhanced Coverage Charge - $4.99/mo. (required per AIRAVE unit)
• Single Line Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $10/mo. per account
• Multi-Line (multiple phones sharing minutes on one account) Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $20/mo. per account

Information is available at http://www.nextel.com/en/services/airave.