This move make sense from a bandwidth perspective since the video download will occur via the customer’s broadband connection required by the HUB, rather than across the Verizon Wireless network.

Verizon is positioning the HUB as a every-data terminal, rather than just a femtocell.

Very, very smart.

Huh? They need a good view to not feel along all day?

Actually, it’s because the femtocells need to know where they are installed so that the carriers can (try to) meet the E-911 location requirements.

Femtocells have built-in GPS receivers that tell the wireless switching center, call the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO for short) where it is installed.  That would be inside your home.  Then, if someone makes a 911 call through your femtocell, the MTSO can use your GPS location (latitude and longitude) to help E-911 dispatchers get help to the caller.

So, to parrot the line from Sprint, “Can you find me now?  Good!”

=Jonathan=

It seems to me that this is a silly comparison, and one that isn’t anywhere near accurate.

A typical macrocell site costs a carrier something like $250,000 to $350,000 to construct.  And given that the Verizon femtocells don’t provide 3G services such as EV-DO data, you’re hardly getting a “Million-Dollar Cell Site In Your Home For $249.99”!

Here’s the news release:

Verizon Wireless “Network Extender” Enhances In-Home Call Capabilities

“Like Getting A Million-Dollar Cell Site In Your Home For $249.99” 01/26/2009

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless customers now have a new option for enhancing wireless coverage inside homes where location, geography or structural conditions interfere with reception. Customers can purchase the Verizon Wireless Network Extender online, by phone or at select Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, allowing them to enhance the signal inside their homes using any Verizon Wireless phone.

“Our new Network Extender device will bring the full benefit of the Verizon Wireless voice network to the small but important segment of customers who may experience a weaker signal in their homes because of geographic or structural conditions,” said Jack Plating, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless. “Current and prospective customers have told us they want this, and we are responding to that demand. For those who have wanted to sign up for Verizon Wireless service but hesitated because of reception problems unique to their home location, this is the answer.”

Verizon Wireless Network Extender – a “mini-cell site” manufactured by Samsung – is about the size of a wireless router box or small attaché case and routes Verizon Wireless calls through the customer’s home broadband Internet connection. Network Extender is easy to set up and ready to use right out of the box and can provide coverage in an area of up to 5,000 square feet. The price is $249.99, plus local taxes, and there are no monthly fees.

“It’s like getting a million-dollar cell site in your home for $249.99,” said Mr. Plating. “Network Extender makes Verizon Wireless’ reliable network even more reliable, filling in nooks and crannies for customers who see the need.”

Network Extender is ideal for customers who want to enhance the wireless signal when making voice calls, sending text/picture/video messages, accessing Mobile Web or accessing smartphone/BlackBerry® data in situations that could include houses with structural barriers; basement rooms; or some remote, mountainous or hilly areas. Network Extender also can provide improved network access for customers living on the geographical fringes of the Verizon Wireless network. Network Extender does not support EV-DO speeds and services that require it.

Customers, their Family SharePlan® members and other Verizon Wireless customers can use their current phones and calling plans to place calls using the Network Extender. Customers also can manage access to their Network Extender through the account management feature on their My Verizon online account. Customers do not need to update their plans or add minutes and will incur no additional monthly charges for calls using Network Extender.

Verizon Wireless’ Network Extender is available at www.verizonwireless.com, by calling 800-256-4646, and at select Verizon Wireless Communications Stores. For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/networkextender.

February 1, 2009: Verizon Launches the “Verizon Wireless Hub” (it’s version of a femtocell.  What distinguishes Verizon’s offering from its competitors is the combination of in home cordless phone, and the extension of the Verizon wireless network via a built in femtocell site.

The Hub connects back to the Verizon MTSO via any broadband connection.  Pricing for this little gem has not be set as of this writing.

Personal Cell Phone Account Of President-Elect Obama Accessed By Unauthorized Employees

11/20/2008

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — Verizon Wireless President and CEO Lowell McAdam made the following statement today:

“This week we learned that a number of Verizon Wireless employees have, without authorization, accessed and viewed President-Elect Barack Obama’s personal cell phone account. The account has been inactive for several months. The device on the account was a simple voice flip-phone, not a BlackBerry or other smartphone designed for e-mail or other data services.

“All employees who have accessed the account – whether authorized or not – have been put on immediate leave, with pay. As the circumstances of each individual employee’s access to the account are determined, the company will take appropriate actions. Employees with legitimate business needs for access will be returned to their positions, while employees who have accessed the account improperly and without legitimate business justification will face appropriate disciplinary action.

“We apologize to President-Elect Obama and will work to keep the trust our customers place in us every day.

Yup.  The criminal and Secret Service investigations are just starting.  Maybe someone will check those records, too.

Verizon Wireless Completes $31 Million Investment In New Omaha Network Facility

10/09/2008

OMAHA, NE — Verizon Wireless announced today it has completed the company’s new Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) in Omaha. The MTSO, which represents a $31 million investment, processes all Verizon Wireless calls and data transmissions within eastern Nebraska and portions of western Iowa. Construction on the facility started in the fall of 2006, and full operation of the new switch will begin this month.

The switching center, which is housed in a 26,000-square-foot building, is a large digital computer center that controls all aspects of wireless calls and data applications. Currently the Omaha MTSO handles more than 4 million data connections and 2 million voice calls a month. The new facility has room to expand for projected increases in voice and data network capacity for the next 25 years.

Verizon Wireless’ network capacity requirements increase each year as the company grows its customer base and offers increasingly sophisticated wireless products and services such as navigation systems, multimedia services and Internet access.

“This new MTSO prepares our network for a substantial increase in usage by our existing and new customers,” said Brian Mecum, executive director of network – Great Plains region, Verizon Wireless. “This state-of-the-art facility also brings the latest wireless technology to Nebraska and western Iowa.”

Redundancy is built into the MTSO facility for reliability in the event of an unplanned event or power outage. Within 15 seconds of a power loss to the facility, the MTSO’s generator assumes the network power needs with no interruption to customers’ service.

The 1.5 megawatt diesel generator is stocked with 10,000 gallons of fuel that can provide days of uninterrupted service. The MTSO is also equipped with enough back-up battery power to keep the building operational for an additional eight hours, giving Verizon Wireless’ network team ample time to refuel and maintain the generator and continue providing customers with uninterrupted service. The MTSO also houses 262 tons of air conditioners needed to cool the entire system.

“As the backbone of our wireless network, this MTSO ensures that Verizon Wireless has the capacity to accommodate our customer needs — both in times of normalcy and in the event of an emergency or natural disaster,” Mecum said. “We are committed to delivering the most reliable wireless network, and the redundancy features that are built-in throughout our network system help us do just that.”

This new MTSO is part of Verizon Wireless’ continuous effort to augment the quality of its wireless voice and data network in Nebraska and across the country. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $45 billion since it was formed — more than $5.5 billion on average every year — to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. From January 2005 through September 2008, more than $95 million of this investment were spent in Nebraska on network improvements.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Qwest’s Verizon negotiations will help Sprint sprint to a solution.

From pun central,  I’m Jonathan Kramer reporting.

The chief losers here are MetroPCS and Cricket Wireless, as well as the other flat-rate carriers who have found a niche in this sector. Oh, yes, AT&T iPhone users are also losers since the AT&T flat rate plan won’t apply to their phones. Too bad, so sad.

Below is Verizon’s press release, followed by AT&T’s press release

02/19/2008

 

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless is moving the industry forward with the introduction of game-changing voice and data plans. The builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network today announced the immediate availability of new Nationwide Unlimited Anytime Minute Plans. The plans give customers all their calls – anytime to anyone in the U.S., including landline phones – at a flat rate for $99.99 monthly access. BroadbandAccess Plans are also being enhanced so customers now have two choices for Internet browsing, e-mail access and downloading files. The new BroadbandAccess plans, available on March 2, will offer customers monthly data plan options of 50 Megabytes (MB) or 5 Gigabytes (GB) (5,120 MB).

“Verizon Wireless is changing the way customers think about wireless,” said Mike Lanman, Verizon Wireless chief marketing officer. “The new flat rate voice plans truly free customers from the worry of counting minutes, while the new data plan options allow more customers to experience the freedom of mobile broadband. These enhancements are also an acknowledgement that wireless has evolved and more people than ever depend on it as a primary means of communication in every aspect of their lives.”

BroadbandAccess, the company’s flagship data service, allows customers to experience average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means customers can download a 1 MB e-mail attachment in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds. Customers will be able to take full advantage of these speeds with two options: 50 MB data usage for $39.99 monthly access or 5 GB data usage for $59.99 monthly access.

“These new flat rate plans make mobile broadband more affordable than ever,” said Lanman. “The $39.99 plan is perfect for the occasional or light data user, while the $59.99 plan meets the needs of the majority of heavy data users. The plans are easy to understand and give customers the technology they need to manage their lives – both business and personal.”

Verizon Wireless can make this industry leading move because it has invested nearly $44 billion since it was formed – $5.5 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. The company was also the first to offer customers a guarantee that pays for equipment and service if customers are not satisfied within 30 days and want to move their service to a different carrier.

“Wireless service is a powerful tool that has vastly changed the way we live. Verizon Wireless decided to take the next step by evolving our plans to meet the needs of customers who depend on our service to stay connected. We have enhanced our pricing portfolio because some customers just needed more freedom for their wireless dollar,” Lanman added.

Here’s AT&T’s press release:

AT&T to Launch Unlimited U.S. Calling Plan

$99.99 Plan Available Feb. 22 for New and Existing Customers

San Antonio, Texas, February 19, 2008

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today new unlimited voice plans targeted to wireless users who want the predictability of flat rate pricing for unlimited minutes. The plans will be available to new and existing wireless subscribers for $99.99 a month for unlimited U.S. calling on all devices with no domestic roaming or long distance charges. The plans can be combined with any current wireless data plan to give customers the ultimate in wireless freedom.

The new plans, available Feb. 22, can be ordered at one of AT&T’s 2,200 company-owned retail stores and kiosks, at www.att.com, or at one of the thousands of authorized AT&T retail locations. Existing customers can choose unlimited calling without extending their contract. New customers have the option of a month-to-month, 12 or 24 month contract.

As with other voice calling plans, AT&T customers can choose from a variety of MEdia Net and messaging plans to meet their needs. For example, customers with standard wireless phones* can choose a data plan such as $5 for 200 text, picture, video and instant messages or $35 for unlimited messaging and MEdia Net access.

“We are pleased to offer our customers these great new plans that deliver value and simplified pricing,” said Ralph de la Vega, president & CEO, AT&T Mobility. “This is a highly competitive market and we’re committed to moving fast to meet customer needs.”

AT&T customers benefit from the nation’s largest digital voice and data network, with 3G broadband available in more than 260 major metropolitan markets. The company recently announced plans to expand its 3G network to 350 markets, including all of the top 100.

*Standard wireless phones do not include smartphones or PDAs or the iPhone.