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Update: OK, Sprint made it official this morning.
Starting August 17, Sprint customers will be able to purchase the AIRAVE at Sprint stores across the country for $99.99 (taxes excluded). Customers are required to subscribe to the AIRAVE enhanced coverage plan, which is priced at just $4.99** per month in addition to the customer's regular wireless voice plan. Customers who do not have one of Sprint's unlimited voice plans, such as Simply Everything, can get unlimited in-home calling by subscribing to the optional AIRAVE Unlimited Voice plan for an additional $10 per month** for individuals or $20 per month for families.** For more information, customers can visit www.sprint.com/airave.
Get the full lowdown here.
The Internets were slightly abuzz Tuesday with word that Sprint's AIRAVE signal booster has gone on sale nationwide.
As you undoubtedly remember from our previous coverage, AIRAVE - for an additional $99 for the base station, $4.99 per month per base station and $10 per month for single-line use ($20 for multi-line) - borrows your broadband Internet connection and spits out a CDMA signal where you otherwise might not have one.
However, at least one poster over at PhoneScoop seems to have gotten the runaround from Sprint, and another says the service won't actually be available until Aug. 17. BetaNews updated its site Tuesday evening clarifying that AIRAVE is not yet available.
There's been no official announcement yet, and Sprint's Web site still says you must contact your nearest Sprint store.
So if you're up for spending more money for cell service that you're, er, already spending money for, give it a shot, and let us know if you're able to track one down yet. We're not holding our breath.
Unless you are in boonville and want your Sprint phone to work, I don't see this being a big draw. You could just as soon use a VOIP solution like MagicJack and it would be a lot, lot, lot, cheaper. If it did EVDO, now that might be worth it, but it's seem pricey. I like Sprint, but pay any carrier more money for the coverage you are paying for already?
I can think of a lot better ways to spend $700 this year...