Do You Really Need Ubiquisys’ Portable Femtocell?

Ubiquisys, a startup backed by Google, lays claim to “the words’ first attocell—a personal femtocell.”

Femtocells are small cellular base stations that connect to the Internet on one side, and wirelessly link to a 3G cell phone on the other end.

They’re often used by cellular carriers to provide coverage for homes and businesses that are in or near dead zones.

The novelty factor of Ubiquisys’ attocell is that it’s really small, and meant for gadget-centric international business travelers who do their business in regions with high roaming charges.

It does seem like this will become one more piece of hardware, along with adapters, battery chargers, cables, etc. that many will leave behind in hotel rooms, convention booths, or bistros/enoteccas/tapas bars.Continue reading