MicroCell - Activation not permitted with GoPhone or Data only subscription

In order to activate a Mcell, you need to have a post-paid AT&T cellphone account.  Your prepaid GoPhone does not qualify you nor does a data-only iPad account.  You've already stated why your wife's cellphone won't qualify you for a Mcell.  No, AT&T isn't going to make an exception for you.

Technically, if your father-in-law doesn't have his own Mcell and has a post-paid AT&T cellphone account, his cellphone number could be listed as the primary phone number with your phones on the approved user's list when registering your Mcell.  Your address could be registered as the Mcell's location instead of your father-in-law's address.  This would satisfy the GPS/matching address issue. This is assuming that you reside in a AT&T Mcell coverage area.

Avedis53 is absolutely correct. It's been a while since I've been in an AT&T store (I'm assuming that's where the OP purchased it) but I think the requirements for using a MicroCell are listed or should be with the instructions that come with it.

To repeat, to "own" a MicroCell and register it, the owner has to have a post paid cell phone account. The primary cell phone number on the activation page has to be the owner of the account with the address matching the cell phone account information for initial activation.

To further clarify, the address information entered as part of the registration process doesn't have to be the physical home address of the primary cellphone (account holder) number.  It can be an address of one of the approved users that are listed during the activation process.  The important thing is that the address has to match the GPS location of the Mcell.  AT&T allows this so a Mcell owner can take his Mcell to another AT&T authorized Mcell location and use it there if they change the address on the activation page (ie. a vacation home).

The reasons to leave ATT just keep adding up. I've been post paid with ATT for over 15 years and it feels like ATT couldn't care less about us. Especially when data prans are better even the gophone, or chicket. Not even allowing the micro cell on gophone that almost never works right anyhow is the last straw for me. There are many other carriours that use WIFI calling. I'm tired of over paying for a lot of ATT B$ drama. Sure the reps are friendly to talk to, but the plans offerings really stink.

Thank you for the useful and informative post. I'm sure it helped a lot of people.

FYI, AT&T provides WiFi Calling also for iPhone 6, 6+, 6s and 6s+.

It was difficult between the misspellings and poor grammar to really understand what you are trying to say.  More importantly, why are you posting on the Mcell forum?  Do you have a Mcell?  Does it work or not?

If you've had a post-paid account for many years, why come here and complain about prepaid GoPhones?  Do you realize that GoPhones can be authorized to use on any Mcell if the primary post paid account holder adds the GoPhone to the Mcell's Authorized User List?  A prepaid GoPhone can't be used to activate a Mcell however.   

We are users just like you, not AT&T employees, so we could care less whether you stay with AT&T or go.  If you have a problem with your Mcell, provide more information here and we'll try to help.  If you are here just to complain, I'd recommend you post elsewhere besides here on the Mcell forum. 

Interesting discussion. Having been av multiple line AT&T business customer for over a decade, I switched to a go-phone in retirement. Living on an island in washington state required a micro-cell, which I purchased while on a post-paid plan. When we switched to a pre-paid account, the micro-cell was still active for over a year. Unfortunately, for a 1 month period I switched from the $60 plan to a $45 plan and it 'triggered' something within the system, telling it that I was no longer a post-paid customer, and it stopped working.

Calls to everyone up to the area manager fell on deaf ears. No one seems to grasp the concept that, if it was operating on  our pre-paid system for a year, that someone might be able to 'push the proverbial button' and re-establish the micro-cell service. It's a mystery to all of them. It's like the system is in control and a human can't do anything about it. I'll bet, however, that if I was a high-level AT&T executive with the same issue...they would miraculously find a cure. Sadly, I'm not. For those of you looking for  a solution to this issue...there is none. It is what it is. It's business, and in business prior loyalty and history with the company means little. 

Can't use Microcell on prepaid. There is no solution. There isn't a way to change this. It only works with postpaid account.

One of the "benefits" of a post-paid account is the option to use a MicroCell. That is not offered to pre-paid account holders. You can add a pre-paid account to the Approved Users List but the MicroCell can only be registered and activated by a post-paid account holder. AT&T, like most other mega-corporations move slowly so when you changed your plan again, the post-paid requirement "caught" up to you. It sucks, but that's the way it is.