This will be the maiden attempt where AT&T sells small, portable cellular antennas which intend to enable both corporate and government customers to provide their own wireless coverage – perfect in remote or disaster-struck areas.
Normally, cell phone companies will need to send in personal trucks that function as mobile cell towers after disasters like hurricanes have struck, but AT&T intends to change the way things have been done traditionally by allowing responders such as police and emergency workers to immediately control the areas of where they have coverage. This unit is packed into a suitcase, complete with a satellite dish that is toted around separately.
It will need to be juiced from an external source (a generator, anyone?), so don’t expect it to work right out of a box. Known as the Remote Mobility Zone, it is capable of handling up to 14 simultaneous calls, apart from data which will be slower compared to broadband, but better than nothing at all. Each of these units will retail anywhere from $15,000 to $45,000, excluding monthly fees.