T-Mobile USA Takes HotSpot@Home Nationwide
June 27, 2007 10:08 AM | T-Mobile | Comments (0)
Today T-Mobile USA is rolling out HotSpot@Home nationwide. HotSpot@Home is a service that T-Mobile hopes will eliminate landline telephones at home. The service allows subscribers to make mobile calls via the cellphone network or a Wi-Fi network, easily switching from one to the other without breaking off the connection. By allowing phones to use both networks, T-Mobile hopes to provide better coverage within buildings, which can be a problem. In addition, there would be no extra charge with certain voice plans for calls initiated via Wi-Fi.
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- Introductory price: For a limited time, T-Mobile is offering HotSpot @Home for $10 a month for a single line and $20 a month for a family plan.
- No plan: Subscribers may use the HotSpot @Home service at no extra cost. They would continue to use minutes from their monthly allowance as normal. But users will still have to buy a new phone.
- HotSpot phones: The service's two initially available phones, Nokia 6086 and the Samsung t409, will start at $50 with a two-year contract.
- HotSpot routers HotSpot @Home routers, made by D-Link or Linksys, are free after a mail-in rebate for customers who sign up for unlimited calling.
For more information: www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com.
Last October T-Mobile started testing HotSpot@Home UMA service in Seattle. However, to use the new service subscribers must get a new phone containing a Wi-Fi radio and special software. A wireless router is also needed which is hooked up to their home broadband connection. When making calls on the Wi-Fi network, users may choose to either use the minutes from their regular voice plan or pay $20 more a month to make unlimited Wi-Fi calls.
The service also works on most public Wi-Fi networks, including the 8,500 hotspots T-Mobile operates in locations such as Starbucks. The phone will automatically connect to those T-Mobile-branded hotspots. For other networks, the user must manually designate an available network.
The calls automatically switch to the network — Wi-Fi or cell — with the strongest signal. Where the call starts determines whether it will be a free call. For instance, if a call is made on the Wi-Fi network but the user moves to a cellular connection, the call would remain free for its entirety.
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