AT&T is testing a technology that can improve the signal available to cell phones in subscribers' homes, and plans to make it available in a trial market next year. The company is testing so-called "femtocells" in employees' homes, and is looking at a broader, city-sized test with customers in the second quarter. Femtocells are small boxes that beam low-power wireless signals to cell phones and relay signals back to the carrier through the subscriber's high-speed Internet connection. In essence, they are miniature cellular towers for the home. Competitor Sprint Nextel Corp. launched femtocells under the Airave brand last year in a few markets, and made them available nationally this summer. Verizon Wireless has said it is looking at femtocells. T-Mobile USA has chosen a different route, selling some phones that can connect calls over Wi-Fi routers.

Sprint's femtocells are for voice and low-speed data connections, but Stankey said Dallas-based AT&T is looking at femtocells that provide full cellular broadband, or "3G" speeds. There is no indication yet on how AT&T’s cell phone booster will be configured, or how much it will cost. However, if it is anything like that of zboost’s “simple” solution, we won’t be surprised if it requires standing on our roof holding a long metal probe with tin foil on the end.

Via