Mobile operator Vodafone UK has launched a new Access Gateway device/service, which uses Femtocell (Access Point Base Station) technology to help extend the indoor coverage and reception of its 3G using mobile phone and Mobile Broadband customers.


The device, which will be available from 1st July 2009, can be purchased for a one-off fee of £160 or via a monthly charge from just £5. Price plans costing from upwards of £15 a month may also offer it as an inclusive extra.

The Gateway is one of the first true consumer applications of Femtocell technology in the UK, which works by connecting to your home or office broadband connection and using it as a kind of booster for the phones coverage.

Users of Mobile Broadband USB Modems might find it cheaper to buy a signal booster for their dongles, although these are unlikely to be as effective.