Verizon is kicking off LTE-U trials in the US, testing out how using unlicensed 4G spectrum could fill in gaps in its traditional LTE network. The pilot, expected to run until the end of the year, will use Samsung LTE-U femtocells - each will create a bubble of LTE service to which smartphones can connect, and be bridged with Verizon's official network.
Hacking into mobile phones isn't anything new, but a recently-discovered hacking trick has gone undetected for years, and it has opened doors for hackers to expose phone conversations, text messages, and even web browser activity. Research has revealed that low-cost low-power cell base stations called femtocells have been able to hack into mobile phones for years.
Vodafone UK has outed its second-generation Sure Signal, squeezing the femtocell down into a wall-wart scale casing to boost network performance in low-signal areas. The new version - considerably smaller than the router-sized first-gen Sure Signal - features a pass-through power socket and can give a full set of bars to up to eight devices simultaneously, by re-routing them over your broadband connection.
An iPhone-sized portable femtocell could make creating a private bubble of cellphone coverage straightforward in homes, offices, hotel rooms and public spaces, offloading smartphones and other mobile devices onto WiFi. The ip.access Advanced Femtocell Concept (AFC) works as existing products, like the AT&T 3G Microcell and Vodafone SureSignal, but can hook up to the internet via either a wired ethernet connection or WiFi.
![Vodafone Sure Signal femtocell hack allows call recording, spoofing [Update: Fixed]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/vodafone_sure_signal_hack-500x420.jpg)
Vodafone's Sure Signal femtocell has been hacked so as to allow calls to be intercepted and recorded, as well as enabling SMS messages and calls to be sent via other subscriber's accounts. The hack, documented by The Hackers Choice, takes advantage of the Sure Signal's common root password and, through modifying the software and physically removing the tracking chip Vodafone use to locate the femtocell, means the on-board decryption system for Vodafone customers is also accessible.
Netgear has announced a new femtocell at MWC 2011 in Spain today. The new Femtocell is the MF100H and it is a second-generation femtocell that supports 3G and Ethernet LAN. The device has been designed to complement the Netgear broadband gateway and router line up that is used by numerous Cable TV operators.
I think that at this point most of us are familiar with a femtocell and what it is and when you need one. Basically, the femtocell is a way to give you a better mobile phone signal indoors and to allow you to route phone calls over your broadband connection rather than the mobile network.
We have talked about the MagicJack VoiP dongle on more than a few occasions around here. The company has merged with VoIP company VocalTec Communications and the newly merged companies are set to offer an interesting new product soon.
Your average femtocell isn’t good for coverage on spaces larger than a big home or smaller office. The AT&T 3G microcell is a good example, it is good for 5,000 square feet of coverage. A company called Roke from England has unveiled a new femtocell called the Wide Area Coverage Femtocell that crushes that 5,000 square foot service area.
Femtocells: simple home cellular base stations that let you make a call when you're indoors and you can't persuade Verizon, AT&T or any of the other carriers to boost their coverage, right? Not if Airvana have their way; the company - who already supply carriers like Sprint with their Airave femto, and who are tipped to be readying a VoIP-capable model for the network - are hoping to turn personal base stations into connected home multimedia hubs, intelligently managing a family's communications and potentially shepherding in more touchscreen tablets. We caught up with the company to find out why smart femtos are the way forward.
I like the idea of a femtocell, but I don't like the way that mobile carriers have positioned the devices. AT&T is a perfect example. The coverage for my iPhone in my local area is not good. Calls drop, the phone simply won't ring sometimes, and generally the data speeds are slow. AT&T will sell me a femtocell to shore up the shoddy network by using my WiFi connection at home. I just don’t think I should have to pay again to fix a shoddy network I am already paying to use.
AT&T's 3G Microcell is prompting controversy, after it emerged that the carrier will be counting data use through the femtocell towards users' monthly wireless data allowance, despite being routed via your own broadband connection. Therefore, if you use significant amounts of data when your phone is connected through the femtocell, you could find yourself falling foul of AT&T's recent data caps without even using their regular wireless network.
