According to information forwarded by AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel, the company's new 3G Microcell devices, launched on Monday, are available to its customers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Using Charlotte as a test market for its first full consumer trial of the technology, AT&T is experimenting with its 3G Microcell - also called 'femtocells' - that uses a home or small business customer's existing broadband connection for increasing the level of 3G.

Once connected to the user's broadband service, the MicroCell handles all calls and data sessions within the home, from the user's cell phone. Each 3G Microcell is capable of working with up to four users simultaneously, and it enables a customer to grant Microcell access to ten other phone lines, which can easily be monitored online.

Essentially a small cellular base station covering nearly 5,000 square feet and working only in AT&T coverage zones, the 3G Microcell is currently priced at $150, with free service.

Commenting on the emerging 'femtocells' technology, Seigel said that it may not only bring about a reduction in the number of calls that have to be carried on a given outdoor base station, but also do away with the need for fatter backhaul connections from cell towers. Seigel said: "You're seeing exponential increases in the use of wireless data and uses of the network that people never imagined a few years ago!"