[blhack]

I don't know how much AT&T's network "rocks".

I have a blackberry bold and most calls get dropped at least once during my conversation (obviously this isn't true for calls that are <2-3 mins).

The 3G coverage is also dreadful. The phone will say "3g", but will time out when opening webpages with the blackberry's browser, using google maps, or trying to run the blackberry twitter app.

I get absolutely no service at my house. AT&T has been talking about a portable cell station that you can buy, then pay a monthly fee to use (wtf, at&t? You're going to offload traffic to my network connection at home, then charge me for the privilege of it?) for about a year now, but it hasn't materialized (if it has, I haven't seen it).

I live in Phoenix, which is a pretty large city. I would understand these things if I lived in a small town, but i don't. AT&T's coverage and their unwillingness to admit that there is a problem and that they are fixing it is unacceptable.

[martey]

AT&T's femtocell (the "3G Microcell") is out, in "select markets." See a review of it at http://paulstamatiou.com/review-att-3g-microcell

My experience with AT&T has been that I have more problems in large cities, and less when I am in the suburbs. I suspect that this might be related to iPhone (or general smartphone) density.

[wooster]

From the review martey linked (http://paulstamatiou.com/review-att-3g-microcell), it looks like the price is currently either a one time $150 payment or $50 + $20/month for unlimited calls while connected to the femtocell. That seems really reasonable to me, and I'd love to get one of them (in my apartment in SF, where I have extremely spotty reception from AT&T).

[blhack]

If it were $150 one-time I would buy one today. Sadly, they are not available in my area (from what the link you supplied says).