If you are an AT&T wireless customer, and get lousy reception in your home or office, then the new AT&T 3G MicroCell may be the answer to your nightmares.

The MicroCell is a new femtocell device from AT&T that will allow you to boost your voice and data connections in the places in your home or office that lack good coverage.  Essentially it is a miniature cell phone tower in your home that plugs in to your high speed Internet network, and it then routes your calls over the Web.  Due to your calls not being on the main cell network, you will get unlimited calls with the MicroCell, meaning that your minutes will only need ot be used when you’re out and about.

While AT&T is late to the femtocell party (T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon have all released their own versions), that didn’t stop AT&T from deciding they should be the most expensive: T-Mobile is $10 a month, Sprint is $99 for the unit and $20 a month and Verizon is a one time purchase of $250.  Well, AT&T decided that the MicroCell should be $150 and then $20 a month.

While some argue that these devices shouldn’t even need to exist, and that the companies should just erect more towers, that simply isn’t practical in a lot of areas.  As someone who lives out in the woods, I never got angry with Sprint that I couldn’t get any bars in my basement, I choose to live out here, so that’s my fault.  I love my Sprint Airave, and love that I now have 5 bars in almost every room of my house, so it’s worth it to me, but I do have to agree that considering my calls now go out over the Internet instead of Sprint’s network, I really shouldn’t have to pay a monthly fee.  For the actual device?  Yes.  For the right to use it?  No.  Now add AT&T upping the price even more, and it just gets sillier.

For now the device is being tested only in Charlotte, NC, but it should be available nationwide down the road somewhere.