Sprint said on Wednesday that it’s going to boost wireless coverage around the United States using a new “Magic Box” that businesses and consumers will put in their home.
The oddly-named Sprint Magic Box is about the size of a shoebox and will be available to business and residential consumers for free. The box is capable of increasing download and upload speeds by up to 200 percent in areas up to 30,000 square feet in size, Sprint said.
That may sound compelling if you don’t have good coverage. But Sprint’s plan also sounds a bit selfish. It’s asking its customers to help it boost its wireless network by placing an ugly white box in their homes and offices.
Other carriers have tried similar approaches, though for different reasons.
T-Mobile used to offer customers a Personal CellSpot, which boosted the signal of its network where it didn’t work very well. Verizon and AT&T also offer small micro cells to boost coverage where a customer needs an extra push, like at a vacation cabin in the woods.
Sprint’s play is a bit different in that the Magic Box will help the carrier expand its network without requiring it to invest more in cell towers and other backhaul technology. Instead, it’s asking that customers essentially help create the expansion by placing ugly boxes in their homes. If nobody wants these boxes, Sprint’s expansion will fail.
The Magic Box is rolling out first in Denver, San Francisco, Indianapolis, New York, Chicago and Houston.