On Monday, Verizon Wireless announced its decision to enter a new business. The chosen market is the one for femtocells, which are small home routers developed to ensure clear calls for indoor conversations over mobile phones.

The company’s new device is manufactured by Samsung, is called the Network Extender and is available for $249.99, without any other monthly fees. It will be able to cover an area of about 5,000 square feet, enhancing the ability to send text messages, surf the Web and check e-mails. Still, it will not support 3G speeds on Verizon’s 3G network.

"Our new Network Extender device will bring the full benefit of the Verizon Wireless voice network to the small but important segment of customers who may experience a weaker signal in their homes because of geographic or structural conditions," explained Mr. Jack Plating, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless, in a statement. He also added that this service was requested by many of the company’s clients, and considering that Verizon is always looking for its customers’ best interest, the decision to enter the market was taken. He concluded by saying that reception problems in home locations will no longer be an issue.

Verizon’s rival Sprint Nextel also released a similar network extender called Airave, which is available for $99, but requires a $10 monthly fee. AT&T also announced the development of such a device, designed to boost its 3G data coverage, but there are no details about its price or its release date.