Extended handset service in locations served by femtocell devices

A method, wherein a femtocell device is communicatively coupled to a packet-switched network and to a telephony device, and wherein the femtocell device radiates to define a wireless coverage area that is operable to serve wireless communication devices (WCDs), the method comprising:

• the femtocell device receiving, from a first WCD, a first registration request for wireless service, wherein the first registration request contains a first WCD identifier that identifies the first WCD;
• in response to receiving the first registration request, the femtocell device determining that (i) the first WCD is served by the wireless coverage area, and (ii) the first WCD identifier is in a whitelist for an extended handset service, wherein the extended handset service involves the femtocell device causing the telephony device to alert in response to incoming call requests for the first WCD;
• in response to determining that the first WCD identifier is in the whitelist, the femtocell device (i) registering the first WCD so that the first WCD is eligible for the extended handset service, and (ii) transmitting a registration confirmation to the first WCD;
• in response to receiving a first incoming call request seeking to establish a call to the first WCD, the femtocell device causing the telephony device to alert;
• and
• in response to the telephony device initiating an outgoing call to a correspondent node, the femtocell device using the first WCD identifier to identify the first WCD in a calling party number of the outgoing call.

A femtocell device that is communicatively coupled to a packet-switched network and to a telephony device, the femtocell device comprising:

• a transceiver that radiates to define a wireless coverage area that serves wireless communication devices (WCDs);
• a processor;
• a data storage that stores a whitelist of WCD identifiers;
• and
• program instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processor, to (i) receive an incoming call request for a first WCD served by the wireless coverage area (ii) in response to receiving the first incoming call request, determine that the first WCD is eligible for an extended handset service, wherein the extended handset service routes call requests for WCDs to the telephony device, and (iii) in response to determining that the first WCD is eligible for the extended handset service, cause the telephony device to play out a distinctive ring associated with the first WCD.