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Old 08-01-2013, 23:18
Everything Goes
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No because they still have to have the cell sites and well, and they always will as a cellular network as femtos only allow a limited number of connections.
Whilst there are limitations. Its still a useful fill in product.
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Old 08-01-2013, 23:26
legends wear 7
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Vodafone are rolling out what they call open femtocells to blackspot areas

http://blog.vodafone.co.uk/2012/12/1...uks-not-spots/
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Old 08-01-2013, 23:39
Everything Goes
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Vodafone are rolling out what they call open femtocells to blackspot areas

http://blog.vodafone.co.uk/2012/12/1...uks-not-spots/
Thats a great idea how to use Femtocells Well done to Vodafone!
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Old 11-01-2013, 18:08
steffangl
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Looks like O2's Tu Go app is in the App store already but only for those trialling the service. Looks like it will give you access to voicemail as well as ability to make calls. Not sure about receiving calls.

I know on my iPhone 4 if the device is locked and not connected to the charger the wifi radio switches off.

I wonder if it would work abroad to avoid roaming charges?
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Old 11-01-2013, 18:14
steffangl
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Thats a great idea how to use Femtocells Well done to Vodafone!
I wonder why they don't just add a new normal mast in the village...
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Old 11-01-2013, 19:31
legends wear 7
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I wonder why they don't just add a new normal mast in the village...
I guess because villagers like to object to those
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Old 11-01-2013, 21:05
Thine Wonk
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I guess because villagers like to object to those
These days they can be very discrete or it could be on the outskirts.

The O2 app sounds very good. That's a good point, does it work with incoming calls?

That would be the killer if it doesn't. Brilliant if it does though.
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Old 11-01-2013, 23:55
DevonBloke
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That would render the whole thing pointless surely.
I like the fact that it would work anywhere with WiFi but at home I love my signal box
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Old 12-01-2013, 00:08
DevonBloke
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It says it receives calls here http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/4640...u-go-app-calls
I also remember reading an article the other day saying you could install it on your phone, your tablet and your PC and an incoming call would ring on all the devices.
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Old 12-01-2013, 00:15
Thine Wonk
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Great, I wish 3 had an android app that would work in the background that would allow cellular calls and texts over wifi, even if they come out of your allowance. I hope all networks deploy this technology.
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Old 12-01-2013, 18:33
DevonBloke
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Didn't someone say its an O2 owned technology that they could sell/licence to the other networks?
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Old 12-01-2013, 18:45
Jwhiterz
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Vodafone are rolling out what they call open femtocells to blackspot areas

http://blog.vodafone.co.uk/2012/12/1...uks-not-spots/
EE's femtocells are open already, not sure if they are planning to close them in the future.
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Old 12-01-2013, 20:27
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They were but allegedly they now are not. Which is good I think.
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Old 13-01-2013, 00:02
legends wear 7
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In that case i prefer the vodafone femotcell to the EE one, if i have one in my house using my broadband connection i would not have one that was not closed to just the telephones i register to it.
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Old 13-01-2013, 01:09
Jwhiterz
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Wen I rang up ee yesterday to complain about the reduced coverage due to them shutting down an orange mast. They said they would send me out a free signal box. Currently it is open but they are in the plans of possibly making them closed.
Mines coming on Tuesday even though its only one room I don't get signal in now (2G) and I only get 2 bars of 3G in one over room. :L can't complain if it was free!

If they turned a mast off in your area and you are in the postcode of that mast you should be aloud to have one for free. that's if your having problems as the device escalations team told me.
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Old 14-01-2013, 18:57
eskdale
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Hi DevonBloke,

So you bought an EE/Orange signal box, is that correct? Could you tell me where from and how much - it seems to be exactly what I need. Many Thanks Jon

Totally disagree I'm afraid mate. Sorry Femtos keep customers happy. They massively increase your battery life, a wifi app would decrease it. They work without having to do anything at all apart from plug it in. An app could be unreliable and needs to access your contacts and all that stuff. How would an app integrate with visual voicemail and other similar systems.
I don't see it really. My signal box is the best thing I've ever bought. I'd have paid 3 times as much. Anyone who comes into my house with an EE, Orange or T-Mobile (and apparently Virgin) handset suddenly has a full signal without doing anything.
The networks wouldn't be installing all the backend gear if they weren't doing it seriously.
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Old 14-01-2013, 19:47
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Vodafone sent me out one for free when I lost signal at home for some reason, had it 6 months now and its never let me down, Constant H on my phone, has a fairly decent range to, I still have signal down at the bottom of the garden.
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Old 14-01-2013, 20:40
Thine Wonk
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It says it receives calls here http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/4640...u-go-app-calls
I also remember reading an article the other day saying you could install it on your phone, your tablet and your PC and an incoming call would ring on all the devices.
Devon, BT have one out now where you can charge calls to your home phone account.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2...dline-accounts
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:01
DevonBloke
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Devon, BT have one out now where you can charge calls to your home phone account.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2...dline-accounts
Yeah I saw that. You beat me to it. I couldn't find anything about incoming calls in the limited time I was looking.
Did you see anything about this?
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:09
DevonBloke
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Hi DevonBloke,

So you bought an EE/Orange signal box, is that correct? Could you tell me where from and how much - it seems to be exactly what I need. Many Thanks Jon
Hello mate. Yes I did. Moved from Orange to EE4G and then tried to order one on launch day but they said I had to be a business customer. I am a sole trader so they moved me over to the business side there and then and sent out a box.
Still haven't been charged for it though. Just ordered another one for my workshop. Hope they ommit to charge me for that one also

You will find it hard to get one on any residential plan though particularily through Orange. Some residential T-Mobile users have had success though.
T-Mobile seem generally more clued up about it. The boxes are being sent out from the T-Mobile side. Although I'm on EE4G my signal box's packaging had a T-Mobile security seal on it.

If you look at this Orange page, at the bottom it does clearly state that the box will be more widely available later.
http://help.orange.co.uk/orangeuk/su...ersonal/725973

EDIT: Sorry forgot the price. £89+VAT but as I said they haven't billed me yet. They credit checked me to see if it could go on my monthly invoice or if I had to pay by card. I passed the check and I've had two invoices since but it's not on either of them.
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:24
DevonBloke
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Devon, BT have one out now where you can charge calls to your home phone account.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2...dline-accounts
Ok, it seems pretty crap. Allegedly no incoming calls.
Check out the comments on this article. http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5...#news_comments
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:29
steffangl
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I downloaded the App yesterday. It doesn't support incoming calls but I still think it's a great idea and think it will come in handy now and again, especially when abroad.

You can choose your caller ID to be your mobile no. or withheld (no option to display your landline number).
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:35
DevonBloke
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Yeah I can see it could be useful sometimes but it's no good as a femto / O2 TuGo / UMA replacement.
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:36
eskdale
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Thanks DevonBloke,
Would love to get my hands on one of these as coverage in the house is very poor. Works on the windowsill in the lounge 95% of the time. But not at all in my home office where it would be useful. I will have to continue with my current solution for a bit longer I guess. I have a Gigaset DX800A in the house which has a bluetooth link to the mobile and a couple of Dect handsets connected to the DX800A. So I leave the phone on the windowsill and link it to the DX800A via the bluetooth. When the mobile rings in then rings on the DX800A and the Dect handsets. You can also make outgoing calls on the mobile from the house phones then also.
Also have a Raspberry Pi running as an asterisk server and a VOIP line from Sipgate. As my Orange plan has unlimited Landlines I have the mobile set to divert to my VOIP line if there is no coverage, and calls then still come in. You could have the VOIP come into the DX800A and ring all the phones but I have my configured to come to the Raspberry Pi which then makes decisions on what to do with it based on Time of day and the calling number etc.
Jon
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Old 15-01-2013, 17:43
DevonBloke
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Thanks DevonBloke,
Would love to get my hands on one of these as coverage in the house is very poor. Works on the windowsill in the lounge 95% of the time. But not at all in my home office where it would be useful. I will have to continue with my current solution for a bit longer I guess. I have a Gigaset DX800A in the house which has a bluetooth link to the mobile and a couple of Dect handsets connected to the DX800A. So I leave the phone on the windowsill and link it to the DX800A via the bluetooth. When the mobile rings in then rings on the DX800A and the Dect handsets. You can also make outgoing calls on the mobile from the house phones then also.
Also have a Raspberry Pi running as an asterisk server and a VOIP line from Sipgate. As my Orange plan has unlimited Landlines I have the mobile set to divert to my VOIP line if there is no coverage, and calls then still come in. You could have the VOIP come into the DX800A and ring all the phones but I have my configured to come to the Raspberry Pi which then makes decisions on what to do with it based on Time of day and the calling number etc.
Jon
You could try and blag one out of orange. They are giving them out for free where they have removed masts. Just try calling up and telling them you had a usable signal for years and now it's suddenly not working. You NEED it for your work, you may have to move to Vodafone, that sort of thing. Bend the truth a little
You may be lucky.
The thing to do is ring a few times and speak to different people. This works all the time. I got two EE4G residential staff who said I needed to send in paperwork proof that I was a business. I called a third time and the guy was more trusting and just moved me over to business. Other people on here have had similar experiences with other things.
Go for it.
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