Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom wants to ban inflation-related rises in phone and broadband contracts. Instead, it says any potential mid-contract price rises should be set out in pounds and pence.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS

Opinion Articles

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A Sure Signal from Vodafone

Mark Bridge writes:

Today I've been using my mobile phone at home. For many people that’s not an unusual thing to do – but it is for me because, around here, coverage indoors isn’t particularly good. Downstairs it’s previously been non-existent.

Vodafone Sure Signal boxBut this morning everything changed. That’s when my Vodafone Sure Signal femtocell arrived. A femtocell is like having your own mobile phone transmitter. Instead of being a cellsite, it looks a bit like a bookend – the size of my broadband router if you balanced it on its side – and instead of connecting directly to the mobile network, it plugs into that home broadband router.

The result is impressive. About half an hour after setting it up, I’m now getting full 3G service – 'five bars' – when before I’d been lucky to get two bars of GPRS upstairs with the window open.

And what’s just as impressive is the speed of delivery. I ordered it at around 4.30pm yesterday and it arrived a couple of minutes after eight this morning.

The Sure Signal was originally called the Vodafone Access Gateway but the name’s recently been changed – and the price has been dropped as well.

If you’re an existing Vodafone customer and you pay more than £25 a month line rental – which I do – the device now costs a one-off £50. It needs to be ordered online and it also needs to be set-up online – and that was the only complicated part. Not setting up the device itself but what’s not completely clear is that you also need to set up your entire Vodafone account online. If you’re not already using Vodafone’s online account management, that’ll take you a few minutes - and I didn’t find the experience particularly straightforward. Even though – for example – I knew what an MSISDN was, finding where to enter my number on the website took a while.

Back of Vodafone Sure SignalBut that’s all done now. You need to register mobile numbers on the Sure Signal – which means your neighbours don’t inadvertently benefit from the improved coverage – and it can handle four mobile phone calls simultaneously, although up to 32 devices can be registered.

My only complaint now is the slightly niggling feeling that I’ve paid Vodafone £50 so I can potentially make more calls and use more data… which is even more money for Vodafone. Then again, at least I had the choice. Had I been using any other UK network, I could still be running upstairs every time I wanted to send a text.

 

Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Categories: Networks and operators, OpinionNumber of views: 10718

Tags: vodafone

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Recent Podcasts

Podcast - 30th January 2007

The team takes a look at social networking using your mobile and reviews the LG KE850 (Prada) phone and the Samsung W559. They also find time to take a look at a new mobile game from Desperate Housewives, and Soonr; a utility to connect your mobile to Outlook, Skype and PC. Plus there's a review of global mobile news from the past week.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 22nd January 2007

This week the team look at the new N76 from Nokia, an interesting WiFi & SIM Free phone from Tovo, discuss the future of Push-to-Talk in the UK as well as the TV show Countdown on your mobile and Mobi-Medic to help with on the spot 1st aid.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 15th January 2007

The team discuss the iPhone and the mobile news coming from CES. They take a look behind the headlines at other activity in the mobile industry and review Eragon the mobile game to accompany the film.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 8th January 2007

We have a review of a Mobile based fitness application by Ascendo, take a look at new mobile brand and phone called the NEO 808i and Sagem latest budget 3G offering in the form of the my600v. We also discuss Virtual Networks and ASDA's proposed entry along with the latest news and views.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 2nd January 2007

This week the team review 2006, take a look at two new phones from Samsung, review the last 2 weeks news and take a look at Six-o-Phone a service that allows you to make money from downloads.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First100101102103105107108109

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«May 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
293012345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829303112
3456789

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement