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Expectations for the femtocell market are huge, and Sprint's move to give them away to consumers is one that should be followed by other network operators.

Tier-one carriers in the U.S. have built their businesses on one primary model: Subsidize handsets for as much as a few hundred dollars, if necessary, to entice users to sign long-term contracts for voice and data service. Whether that model is advantageous for both operators and consumers is debatable, but the economics are pretty simple: It’s easy to make that money back if you’re charging users $100 or so a month for two years. This [...]