Chris
Why would I pay an upfront fee for a product that improves Vodafones network (coverage and traffic)? Shouldnt they be giving me this product so they dont have to build as many large masts?

And how will traffic charges work? Will my mobile voice traffic start to contribute to my data cap? In essence unless the data is zero-rated then I'm not really paying "landline charges" for my calls in the "home zone". So I'm paying a fee for the product to make calls and the cost of carriage via my data plan?

Finally, how does a Vodafone femtocell running over a Telecom (or any other ISP) DSL connection get commercial agreement? Is Telecom likely to allow Vodafone to attach its product to its data network where it improves Vodafones mobile coverage relative to Telecom? Or will I have to move my entire home/data/mobile to Vodafone?

[Vodafone NZ hasn't released any pricing and plan details. Bundling a femtocell with a Vodafone [i.e old ihug] DSL account would be an obvious way to get the product up and running without any commerical agreement with Telecom. That would limit the number of potential customers of course. A femtocell would not necessarily be tied to a home zone plans. Vodafone has home zone plans right now - proof that that it can reach a commercial agreement with Telecom, albeit with a little nudging from the Commerce Commission. Data plans in most countries are uncapped, so whether femtocell data went toward your monthly cap would be pretty much a unique NZ problem. CK)

Vodafone have said they won't be upgrading my place on Waiheke because of the tin foil hat nutters. Well I want coverage and I'm willing to pay them to come out and put some gear in. This sounds like a much cheaper measure than building a tower on my property and when I open up to corporate functions I'll be able to offer cellphone coverage as well.

It's an easy decision.

Great concept which will be welcomed, but as the femtocell uses fibre or a DSL land connection, then it is of no use to those out of the main centers, ie country areas currently without DSL capabilities. Many country areas have little or no cell coverage, and no DSL. Would be a big bonus if it were to work through the standard copper lines.

But, would anyone like to be radiated by the femtocell? There is a possibility that the home femtocell could be a miniature cellsite to support the public network. Hmmm...maybe that is the way to get around the resource consent to build cell sites in the residential areas.Good move Vodafone

You idiot. Have you got a:

Television
Cordless Phone
Microwave oven
AM radio
FM radio
wifi modem

in your house? They all have a higher level of output than a cellphone repeater would.

I would have no qualms at all about putting one of these in my house. It will mean my cellphone won't struggle to connect to a tower that's miles away so it won't have to use as much power and that will be over more benefit to me than worrying uselessly about "radiation" just because it's a scary word.

Chris, maybe the mobile operator can top up the existing home insulation deal with some existing super duper radiation absorbing materials to prevent the radiation getting into the house. Would your wife remove the objection?

Bizarre - I have yet to hear of anyone getting cancer or anything else from radio, which when push comes to quantum photon shove, is all that cellphone transmissions are. Light (as we techies never stop pointing out) is an electro-magnetic wave, so there is both an electromotive (effects on electrons and matter) as well as the photonic quantum effect. And how glad we should be for it - for without this, no heat, light, food (from photosynthesis), in fact nothing at all - Let There Be Light !

So radio waves are radiation. Green spotlights are radiation. More FM and The Rock are radiation. And - so are cellphone transmissions.

Something else - I often wonder if the tinfoil-hat nutters on Waiheke are aware that the background radiation of rocks is greater than that of cllphone transmissions, in general.....I'd worry about your garden water feature before worrying about your cellphone.

Rather than debating the merits of subsidising vodsafones crapulent coverage, just sign up with XT and have mobile coverage that is faster and doesnt require you shell out your cash for yet another bit of junk to clutter up my lounge?

The other problem I can foresee is what happens when my neighbours get one of these femto cells as well - if we get enough of these in a single area than interference issues could take the poor sucker (errm customer) back to their original coverage problem.

I've got a handset that gives me great coverage and zippy mobile broadband, its on XT and it works - why would I cough up cash to subsidise vodafones shonky network???

after tanning clinics cost a bomb!

If i already had Fibre/DSL on premises, then why wouldn't i use VOIP via wifi, rather than this bit of kit?

Can i lock this down to authorised mobiles, or is my isp going to charge me for the transfer so vodafone can allow any mobile to use this connection?

Is this really the world's most pointless device?

Please remember that we are still paying through our noses in phone line charges and mobile calls. The 2 telcos are raking it in because we as a nation have not put the telcos in their places. We as a nation give them the power to charge whatever they want because when there is something new...we ought to have it. Its not even a necessity for God's sake!

Wake up New Zealand!

Well without Telco's where would you be? p.s. XT is backed by fibre.

Who wants a microwave transmitter in their home?

I guess you could use it to cook with too?

It's a simple enough concept, I'm surprised it hasn't already been fitted into an all in one wireless modem. I guess it's a logistical issue on how to maximise their profits from the indroduction of this technology.