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Topic # 110813 17-Oct-2012 00:41 Send private message

Has anyone tried the vodafone sure signal box / femtocells on another ISP?

I see the website says you need a vodafone DSL connection but i have a number of rural subscribers on our microwave radio broadband network who would love to get cellphone coverage at their homes, and dont care if its metered (even though we would unmeter it)

I realise vodafone would like you to have a dsl connection with them for
 - keeping their marketing department happy
 - Qos
 - Unmetering femtocell backhaul data
 - etc

But i am really keen to find out if they have it firewalled off from the general internet.

Am almost thinking i should get a VF dsl connection into our office and nat the femtocell data across it as if an end user doesnt mind their ISP's policy, vf should be allowing people to use the sure signal boxes.

The reason i see this is because
 - Heaps of small isp's serve rural areas where RBI wont provide coverage
 - The end user doesnt mind if the cell calls and data is metered through their isp
 - It provides a great way for vf to expand coverage into rural homes without cost
 - It would encourage telecom's rural customers to switch to vf if they are on fringe coverage.

sorry my simple question got a bit long. It was "has anyone tried using one of these boxes via another isp?"




Ray Taylor
Napier, NZ
www.taylorcommunications.co.nz 







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BDFL
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  Reply # 702266 17-Oct-2012 00:45 Send private message

They won't work through an ISP other than Vodafone.




BDFL
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  Reply # 702317 17-Oct-2012 08:44 Send private message

There are other things to consider. If you use this on Vodafone then the traffic is zero rated.

Now suppose these weren't locked. You get a "smart" customer that plugs this to their ISP, with a crappy 20 GB account.

The Sure Signal is a full cell site - voice, SMS and data. And no limits on who can connect to it. If you live somewhere with a few Vodafone customers around you then notice your broadband CAP going very fast - because your neighbour's new iPhone 5 has just latched into your Sure Signal.

To your neighbour there's no indication it's a Sure Signal. The only thing visible is that now there's a strong Vodafone signal around where there was none before. And he's not afraid of using his mobile data all the time since he's got a 3GB plan.

And guess who is paying for his 3GB usage over your broadband connection?

I know there's limits in coverage, but still can happen if you live close to the next property...






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