Loyalty (or complaints) rewarded as AT&T hands out MicroCells

If one thing has grated on AT&T's signal-strapped customers since the introduction of its MicroCell, it's that you have to pay it. After all, you are paying extra for something you should get by default: decent coverage. Perhaps some loyal customers are seeing a reward for that loyalty, however, in the form of free MicroCells.

AT&T's MicroCells are its brand of femtocells. A femtocell uses your own broadband to give you better coverage in your house. In the case of AT&T's MicroCell, you have to register specific devices (up to 10) to be used with it. You also have to pay 4150, plus $20 a month if you want usage through the MicroCell to be unlimited. Otherwise, it counts against your minutes.

enGadget reader Jason received a letter (true, not an email) offering his family a 3G MicroCell for free. All he had to do is go to a local AT&T store. He noted that he has trouble with dropped calls at home (as do we), but hasn't complained to TS about it. His family plan runs $180, but the kicker is probably that his contract was set to run out.

He didn't have to re-up for a new service contract, however. He also, it's apparent, didn't grab a new iPhone 4 or he'd be locked in for two more years, anyway.

At any rate, some folks have also said that if you complain hard enough, you can get a MicroCell for cheap, or free, as well. What's interesting in this case is that AT&T was proactively handing out the MicroCell, without a complaint.

Anyone else getting AT&T love?