T-Mobile announced Monday that it will extend its HotSpot @Home service to include businesses. Right now, the service allows regular consumers to make unlimited calls via a home Wi-Fi network (provided you have a UMA-supported phone), and if they wander out of range, the call will switch over to the cellular network.
Like the consumer model, businesses need only pay a flat monthly rate to take advantage of the unlimited Wi-Fi calls, though it'll likely take place over enterprise-grade Wi-Fi networks instead. This makes sense to us, since businesses have a lot more people wheeling and dealing over the phone. Right now the only real business phone that has the UMA capability in T-Mobile's lineup is the BlackBerry Curve.
(Via Phone Scoop)
T-Mobile @Home HiPort router
(Credit: T-Mobile)The news has broke that T-Mobile will be offering a VoIP service called T-Mobile @Home in select cities nationwide. However, yours truly had a chance to get some hands-on time with the specially built T-Mobile HotSpot @Home HiPort wireless Linksys router made especially for this service. T-Mobile also sent me an optional VTech cordless phone so I can test it out.
Setting up the router is the same procedure as setting up any other router, save for one difference: You need to install a SIM card. T-Mobile provided me with one, which I then snapped into place in the back of the router. There are two SIM card slots and two phone jacks, so you have the capability to use this with up to two lines. After installing the SIM card, simply attach the Ethernet cable from the modem to the router, and then connect the router to your computer. You can now attach your home phone (or cordless phone in my case) to the router. Note: If you inserted a SIM card in the Line 1 slot, you should connect your home phone to the corresponding Phone 1 jack. If you wish to change settings, such as passwords and WPA security, you can do so via a Web browser. Voila! You're ready to go. The process took maybe five minutes, if not less.
Making calls feels just like any other plain old telephone service. Just pick up the phone, dial, and you're on your way. Call quality was about the same as landline, though we did pick up a tiny bit of hiss the further we moved the cordless phone away from the base. As we mentioned, the VTech cordless phone system is completely optional; according to T-Mobile, you can use the router with any touch-tone phone. If you do wish to get the VTech phone, it's about $59.99.
Overall, we thought it was a great deal. The router does cost $149.99, but you can get it for $49.99 if you agree to a two-year contract. You also have to pay $10 a month for the @Home service, which really isn't too bad. The fee includes unlimited nationwide long-distance, caller ID, voice mail, call waiting, three-way conferencing, and more. You can also port over your home phone number if you like.
Nokia 6301
(Credit: T-Mobile)T-Mobile announced two new cell phones for its HotSpot @Home service today. The Nokia 6301 is a silver candy bar phone and the SGH-T339 is flip phone in bright red. Both handsets offer integrated Wi-Fi so you'll be able to make calls on T-Mobile's standard cellular network and your home wireless broadband network. And like T-Mobile's other HotSpot @Home handsets, the Nokia 6086, Samsung Katalyst, and Samsung SGH-T409, you can switch between regular and Wi-Fi calls without interruption. Features for both phones are functional without being flashy. The 6301 includes a music player, stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, a speakerphone, messaging, an expandable memory slot, and an FM radio. It also comes with a docking/charging station. The SGH-T339 offers a music player, stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a speakerphone, an expandable memory slot, and messaging. The 6301 is $79.99 with service and the T339 is $49 with service.
On Sale Now: $29.99
View the latest prices for Samsung SGH-T339 (T-Mobile)
Monday's announcement that Starbucks will end its Wi-Fi partnership with T-Mobile had some HotSpot subscribers worried. After all, Starbucks locations are a significant source of T-Mobile HotSpots. One of the key attractions of T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service is the ubiquity of such HotSpots (HotSpot @Home is a service that lets T-Mobile subscribers make unlimited phone calls via Wi-Fi).
However, according to a T-Mobile news release, existing HotSpot customers will not be impacted by the switch for at least another five years. AT&T Wi-Fi operations have yet to begin, and even after the transition, customers can take advantage of a roaming agreement between T-Mobile USA and AT&T. HotSpot and HotSpot @Home customers who want to use the Starbucks Wi-Fi can do so without additional charge. That said, it's still a blow to T-Mobile, as customers may attempt to crawl out of their existing HotSpot subscriptions.
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