Sure Signal (Femto-Cell)

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#435820 6-Feb-2011 10:06

old3eyes:
mrtoken: See vodafone has just released the "Sure Signal"

Just so i get this str8.

If someone has crappy vodafone coverage

1) They have to buy a unit from $350 - $1034
2) Have BB with vodafone and plug the Femtocell into it (in which case it uses your internet to place the call your making from your vodafone cellphone).
3) Still get charged for the call/text you make from your phone via the Femtocell

So you pay vodafone for the unit?
You pay vodafone for your BB which they then use for free to place a call because they have crap coverage where you live? (and does this go onto your BB data limit as well?)
You pay for your calls/text via the FemtoCell

Is that how it works because it sounds like vodafone is milking it.

?

I would completely agree with you. ? Why pay extra for something that you should get as a part of the money you pay Vodafone..

I suggest you read the thread as there are many reasons pointed out why!

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#435883 6-Feb-2011 14:38

johnr:
old3eyes:
mrtoken: See vodafone has just released the "Sure Signal"

Just so i get this str8......

I would completely agree with you. ? Why pay extra for something that you should get as a part of the money you pay Vodafone..

I suggest you read the thread as there are many reasons pointed out why!

+1 johnr.

I'm going to complain that the faraday-cage-of-a-house I live in doesn't get good coverage, and it's up to 2D/VF/TNZ to sort out and make it better. I'm not willing to pay extra as the low value prepaid customer that I am, I expect said carrier to provide free DSL, plus cover my home power costs too. Then if said carrier wants to build a outdoor site all the residents will complain about the RF of the site frying their brain while they all walk around with a mobile phone in their trouser pockets, use microwave ovens and have wifi and walk around phones at home. Sheesh there is just no pleasing some people.

I think it's great offering. One thing that would be cool is if I could get one ex-ebay uk for 10 quid and get it provisioned in NZ. That would be nice. But I am sure different config and perhaps even slightly tweaked radio's will be used here than in the UK.

old3eyes

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#435889 6-Feb-2011 15:03

johnr:
old3eyes:
mrtoken: See vodafone has just released the "Sure Signal"

Just so i get this str8.

If someone has crappy vodafone coverage

1) They have to buy a unit from $350 - $1034
2) Have BB with vodafone and plug the Femtocell into it (in which case it uses your internet to place the call your making from your vodafone cellphone).
3) Still get charged for the call/text you make from your phone via the Femtocell

So you pay vodafone for the unit?
You pay vodafone for your BB which they then use for free to place a call because they have crap coverage where you live? (and does this go onto your BB data limit as well?)
You pay for your calls/text via the FemtoCell

Is that how it works because it sounds like vodafone is milking it.

?

I would completely agree with you. ? Why pay extra for something that you should get as a part of the money you pay Vodafone..

I suggest you read the thread as there are many reasons pointed out why!

Disagree John. If I'm paying say $60 / month on a plane to Vodafone I should not have to pay more to get what my monthly account costs me. If Voda wants you to have this stuff to supplement their bad coverage they should give it for free and allow it to be used with any ISP.. Most likely I would borrow a fone from 2D or Telecom and if I get a good signal then dump Vodafone.

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#435910 6-Feb-2011 16:17

Old3eyes you should build and run your own mobile network then. You seem like an expert on mobile coverage and will be able to provide 100% coverage for about $60 a month.

richms

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#435927 6-Feb-2011 17:20

$60 a month on a plane? Is that an aeroplane or an open plane?

VF are not idiots when they plan their network, they wont put sites in where they would only serve a few people and not be profitable.

I would have liked to see a legitmized repeater option in preference to the femtocells, but I guess they are easier to manage and as they have a remote control on them they can turn them off if they are causing problems, whereas repeaters they cant.

Richard rich.ms

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#435930 6-Feb-2011 17:23

old3eyes: Disagree John. If I'm paying say $60 / month on a plane to Vodafone I should not have to pay more to get what my monthly account costs me. If Voda wants you to have this stuff to supplement their bad coverage they should give it for free and allow it to be used with any ISP.. Most likely I would borrow a fone from 2D or Telecom and if I get a good signal then dump Vodafone.

And I disagree with your disagreement. If you know there's no coverage in your place, then you should plan to move to another provider, if there's coverage.

What you are saying sounds like John Doe goes to a store, buys a mobile to use in the middle of nowhere then calls TV One News saying that "if I pay I want coverage everywhere", even though John Doe knew there wasn't any to start with.

richms

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#435933 6-Feb-2011 17:29

On the flipside of that, if you buy based on the coverage tool predicting ok service and find nothing usable even when standing outside the front of the house with a complete clear view of the CBD, harbour bridge, all the way up the harbour etc, then you have legitimate reasons for complaining.

Richard rich.ms

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#436185 7-Feb-2011 11:28

While the sure signal does come at a price, we are 25min from the centre of Auckland City and have had NO service for the 3 years we have lived hear. Many calls to Vodafone to ask about upgrading or more towers have resulted in nothing!! So when this little number came out we jumped, as I run a business from home cell reception is pretty important. Plugged in and 20 min later FULL service,... and FULL service upstairs, downstairs, at the letterbox and even in the spa,... this is great. I have been assured by vodafone that calls will be zero rated (ie. don't count towards broadband usage) in the near future and if there is a problem before they sort that out,.. a quick call to them will result in a credit. To all of the cynics out there,.. the company just can't have reception everywhere, and this little piece of hardware solves the problem. GET ONE !!

oxnsox

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#436204 7-Feb-2011 12:05

richms: On the flipside of that, if you buy based on the coverage tool predicting ok service and find nothing usable even when standing outside the front of the house with a complete clear view of the CBD, harbour bridge, all the way up the harbour etc, then you have legitimate reasons for complaining.

Probably only if you demonstrate that the science and physics associated with both radio propagation, and the predictive model that was used, was wrong.

Bigted

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#440622 17-Feb-2011 11:32

Got mine this morning (Wednesday). Ordered on Monday. Also came with a Vodafone complete ADSL modem with N wifi. All for $99 delivered. Can't complain about that. $99 price lasts until mid march.

I have a dynalink RTA1320E modem half bridged into a Linksys WRT54G running Tomato for internet access.
Plugged the Sure Signal into the WRT, left it alone for an hour. Restarted my cell (Nokia 5800). Showed connection as 3.5G 5 bars on my homescreen.
Checked my voicemail to check operation - all good - easy as!

I run a business from home in Glendowie and although my phone used to show 2-3 bars, most of the time
when I received a call I could hear the caller but the caller could not hear me. Had to walk outside to get a good connection. Hopefully this is the end of that problem.

michaelmurfy

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#440643 17-Feb-2011 12:10

My Dad is going to get one. I will let you know how he goes.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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freitasm

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#441003 18-Feb-2011 08:45

I got one of these, but seeing I am no using Vodafone DSL I can't use it - not even for testing and accepting the fact traffic won't be zero rated if connected to another provider, etc.

I am giving my Vodafone Sure Signal away here. However note you must be a Vodafone mobile *AND* fixed line broadband customer to use it.

The requirements of only using a Vodafone DSL service, while based on good reasons (zero rated traffic, QoS control), is a big limitation. Of course Vodafone wants to sell up a full package, being a complete telco provider now, but that certainly reduces the number of customers who would take up the product.

davisg

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#441020 18-Feb-2011 09:10

Hear hear!! I too would be happy to purchase and use a femtocell, and even pay for the data.
But I choose to use another home broadband supplier.

Perhaps I should move to another mobile provider.. The silly thing is if I did use the other major mobile provider I would not even need the femtocell because unlike Vodafone, XT reception is rock steady at home.

oxnsox

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#441041 18-Feb-2011 09:56

freitasm: ....(edit)....
The requirements of only using a Vodafone DSL service, while based on good reasons (zero rated traffic, QoS control), is a big limitation. Of course Vodafone wants to sell up a full package, being a complete telco provider now, but that certainly reduces the number of customers who would take up the product.

Who can say that this won't change in time, and when others mobile operators introduce their offerings.

Right now VF have the advantage of being first on the floor, so why shouldn't they use that advantage to try and lock in some more fixed line market share.... it also lets them work thru any issues associated with QoS and control they may not have foreseen... apart from that it's called business.

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#441043 18-Feb-2011 09:58

Nothing against the strategy itself. But I do wonder if it will actually turn into a sizable number of new fixed line broadband customers...

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