How Am I Charged

[whizzer100]

I just connected my 2nd hand micro cell tower and it is great.  However, I have a question: I have to have my iPhone set for 3Gs service for the cell tower to work in my home environment. I routinely use my wi-fi for phone calls through AT&T wireless. Since I have to have 3G service turned on, does that mean I am being charged for data service on all the phone calls I make? How about internet access which I normally get via wi-fi; is that a data charge now? I looked before I bought and did not find anything in the ATT stuff that clarified this issue.

Thanks.

Karl

[JFizDaWiz]

I don't follow. Phone calls and data are different, they don't go hand in hand

[Vermonster · Accepted solution]

Voice goes through the microcell and uses your minutes.
Data will go through the microcell and use your MBs, unless connected to Wi-Fi

I hope that's clear.

[whizzer100]

I am somewhat of a newbie and two things were an unknown: the 3G in the title of the micro cell device infers data transmission to me, not phone/wireless transmission but I guess I am getting the message from you all now that it is transmitting wireless 3G signal to my iPhone 3GS. So there is no data being transmitted even when I am connecting to the internet via my iPhone inside my home; only wi-fi is being used.

The second confusion is why I had to connect my modem to the 3G Micro Cell tower at all. That infers some kind of a dtaa connection to me; hence the concern about data plan charges from AT&T. I still don't see the need for the ethernet connection if the micro tower is just amplifying the wireless signal that is inside my house (which is usually no bars on the signal strength meter on my phone).

Thanks for you help and hopefully a little more clarification on the logic behind the ethernet connection.

Thanks again.

Karl

[Vermonster]

3g means it works with 3g phones. It really has nothing beyond that. The microcell takes your voice and transmits it over the internet, that is why you connect it to your modem.

[whizzer100]

And it is going thru the internet to a tower somewhere for transmission to the guy I am talking with? This is the last question. Thanks a lot.

Karl

[Vermonster]

Correct. The microcell sends everything over internet.

[mjg01]

If the call is being routed through the internet.....why am I being charged? It is not costing AT&T anything. If this is true then it is an outrage! I am already paying someone for my internet service.......and you are telling me that AT&T is charging me for it again?

[Vermonster]

I don't work for at&t so I cant speak officially. But even when connecting through the microcell you have to use their network. I mean without the at&t microcell you wouldn't be able to use an at&t phone. Its not that outrageous.

[czgarcia]

I think it's outrageous too, because you are already paying for the networks use with your internet fees. Now you are also being charged for the minutes, even though you are only using the internet, which you are paying a separate fee for.

[Vermonster]

If you didn't have a contract saying you could connect to AT&T's network then how would it work? I mean the microcell connects to the internet but the internet connects to AT&T's network. The person you're calling is getting a call from you at your number. It's very similar to VOIP, you pay Vonage (or whoever) separately from your ISP, because they're two different companies offering two different services. It's also the same as having a long distance carrier on a landline, or making a collect call.

There is noting "outrageous" about what AT&T does.