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Get lousy cell phone coverage in your home or office? A femtocell just might be the solution you're looking for. At CTIA Wireless in Orlando last week we got a chance to check a new one from Samsung,No bigger than as Wi-Fi access point, the cellular base station enhances cellular coverage through an DSL or cable broadband connection called the UbiCell, that's due in early 2008.

An attractive device that wouldn't look out of place among a user's home electronic and computer equipment, the UbiCell, as with most femtocells, is an alternative to UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) and Voice over Wi-Fi technology.

It is a plug and play cellular base station no bigger than a regular Wi-Fi access point that plugs into a DSL or cable broadband connection to access an operator's backhaul network through an Internet connection, and therefore provide enhanced cellular coverage.

So, in other words, the UbiCell doesn't require a dual mode (cellular/Wi-Fi) mobile handset to work. Rather, you can use pretty much any cell phone, smartphone or otherwise, as long as the phone works on the carrier's network. And with no UMA coverage available anywhere but Seattle at this point - through trials with T-Mobile - there's really no competition yet in the U.S. anyway.

In the case of the UbiCell that Sprint is currently trialing , it is CDMA edition, naturally, The carrier plans to release the device early next year.

Because a cell phone must be authorized for use with the UbiCell, others can't piggy back on your connection. Four approved users at a time may access a single UbiCell..

When you step into the house, you are seamlessly switched over to the UbiCell connection, and when you leave the reverse occurs. The UbiCell provides about 5000 square feet of coverage. And Samsung integrates GPS so users can't leverage the UbiCell in areas they're not supposed to, such as outside the country.

Another version of the UbiCell, also on display at CTIA, supports WCDMA (GSM voice and 3G data) technology. This one is slated for trials next year. An EV-DO (3G data for CDMA customers) edition is supposedly in the works as well.

Samsung claims voice quality through the UbiCell is superior to VoIP technology. We'll have to wait and see how the device actually performs to confirm that one. Nonetheless, the UbiCell does appear to be an attractive option for those who not only want or need improved indoor cell phone coverage, but for those who want finally nix their landline altogether as well.