Verizon has launched and listed a new version of its Samsung-sourced Network Extender femtocell following FCC approval in July. The unit is designed to provide coverage via broadband connection in the event indoor coverage is in adequate. As an upgrade to the previous model and as previously reported, the updated version features support for EVDO Rev. A data access. Pricing for the new unit is set at $249.99 with no additional access fees.
The new Network Extender is the first femtocell to launch in the United States with support for EV-DO Rev A 3G speeds, and will aide in taking bandwidth demands off of Verizon’s network. The original Network Extender handed off 3G data connections to the nearest tower, unless absolutely no EV-DO signal was available. Devices would then fall back to the first-gen Network Extender’s 1xRTT signal for data access.
Doesn’t this one-up the Airvana that only DOr.0?
To be honest, I think it’s not a big deal… technically yes, but realistically not much.
EV-DO support on a femtocell is only going to aid devices that have EV-DO but not Wi-Fi. That is a quickly-dwindling number of devices. If you’re at home or the office, you’re probably using Wi-Fi already.
Plus, in the cases where you have a device that is EV-DO Rev A, but lacks Wi-Fi, it typically does not have the processing power to handle the bump in speeds from Rev 0 to Rev A.
I think Sprint made a smart cost-cutting move here, and one that will further encourage smartphone users to tap into Wi-Fi at home, as opposed to stressing Sprint’s femtocell network. Verizon, as a more premium carrier, is more likely to side on the other end of that tradeoff, and would rather invest in the added bandwidth needed.
Also, to clarify, just like the original Network Extender, there are no access fees… but Verizon’s Network Extender operates similar to a standard tower. Minutes, data, and messaging used on Verizon’s Network Extender will be billed as if you were using any other VZW tower.