T-Mobile @Home Service Launched
T-Mobile rolled out the @Home service in Seattle area stores this week. @Home is T-Mobile’s brand name for Universal Mobile Access that allows a cell phone to make voice or data calls using a pre-approved Wi-Fi hotspot instead of using the cellular network. In order to use @Home, you would need a compatible WiFi phone from T-Mobile. The currently available phones that work with this service are the Nokia 6136 and Samsung T709. The @Home service costs $20 per month for unlimited calling and is expected to launch in additional markets soon
Anybody else think this BS is useless? Pre-Approved, so what T-Mobile is saying is $20 to use this in Starbucks. Garbage! It should be free to use, just buy a phone with the feature and charge $20 to use their wi-fi network. If you already have the T-Mobile/Starbucks account, you should be able to use their network for free. Too bad the Starbucks account is complete garbage. 1/2 of the starbucks I go to don’t have it or the signal is so weak, it only works in a corner of the shop.
Congratulations to Boy Genius on this site. Keep it pop’n!
You can still use free wifi spots with it if you like. There might be a fee for being able to use UMA, though, I dont think its anywhere near $20.
Not to mention, the service works very well, and its unlimited @ those prices.
http://www.WifiFreeSpot.com
Right, basically when you get the T-Mobile router it doesn’t function differently from say a Linksys wifi router, it still provides internet connection to you via wifi, with the added bonus of using the UMA service, $20/month gives you unlimited calling so when you didn’t have T-Mobile service at your house you now do for aslong as that wifi signal provides while not using up your plan minutes…No idea if you can use this at hotspots yet…
you guys are missing the point of this device, your router could be the unit in your home, and now you can have unlimited calling, no need for a land line at all!
now yes i would love for this to work on all free wifi networks, but that would require a substantial effort in the UI department to make the interface easy enough to connect to AP’s.
this is a step in the right direction, and will eventually lead to the death of companies like vonage. why have a landline and a cell phone, when you can just have both. free at home, and pay for minutes when you go out!
I think I’d consider this if I didn’t have perfect service in my apartment and most of the hotels I live in. I also think I would open a new line of service on my account with a low-minute regional plan just for the UMA phone if I did decide to use the service.
Additionally, I think that the only purpose that special router serves is that it likely has static routes set up to the T-Mobile VoIP server, and even more likely, QoS settings that put priority on voice calls. A technical person should be able to replicate the settings on another router.
Well all I know is that this is what I’ve been waiting for in terms of making the decision to switch to T-Mobile from Cingular. As for ditching the landline still very useful especially in times of natural disasters it is unbeatable, landlines are self-powered (assuming you don’t only have cordless phones). And yes, I agree with dc/dc it is only a matter of time before someone is able to add a patch to a standard wireless router, or for that matter, with a decent smartphone, there is no reason why the routes couldn’t be kept in the phone.
http://mobilecrunch.com/2006/10/08/a-quick-and-dirty-uma-primer/
thats a quick primer on UMA and how it would work for all.
step 1 get rid of Vonage
step 2 get Tmoblie router for free
step 3 get one of the phones they offer (it cant be any phone with wifi, it has to have UMA technology)
Also enjoy free calls at ANY T mobile Wifi spot
questions?
if I have family plan is it +20 a month per line?
Will it work on any open WiFi ?
can I tether it to my laptop and get Tmobile Wifi on my laptop?
Also can Nokia come out with the E70 with UMA? Please?
can anyone else not find the Nokia 6136 on their website?
It won’t show up unless you are in the Seattle SA.
I tried 98199 (a seattle zip) and it still did not show up
anyone have other results?
i tested this out before the launch using the nokia 6136 and d-link wireless-g router. the phone will recognize any wi-fi networks within range. further, you can sign onto secure networks provided you have the correct credentials to do so (i.e. WEP, WPA), and open networks. the router provided in the kit is by no means special. this may have changed post-launch, but i got my test phone to connect to an old linksys wireless-b router fine. the phone is also a nice tool for hunting unsecured wi-fi routers, if that’s your steez…
the only issue i had was the hand-off between GSM and UMA. if your UMA signal cuts off too soon, your call will in turn drop before the phone has a chance to switch over to GSM. the router i tested also only has a single (albeit, very small) antenna. a dual antenna router, or perhaps a higher gain antenna in place of the stock one might improve the range.
for anyone that has issues with cell signals, this is a great service. you could be 30 feet underground in a room made of concrete and still have the ability to use your cell phone.
Hey this service sounds great! Anyone know when this might be available in the Chicago Market? Also has anyone heard if the T-Mobile Dash will work with this technology?
I don’t think the Dash will work with the TMO @Home service unless they update the software. It is my understanding the Blackberry Curve will.
Yes, a T-Mobile Account Specialists (not Customer Service, Accounts Specialists are suppose to know the new phones and features) did unofficially acknowledge that the BlackBerry Curve 8320 will be coming to T-Mobile (Sept 24. 2007) will have UMA and will be able to use WiFi / T-Mobile@Home service.
John Fong http://www.KoolStuffOnline.com
so does this mean i can bring this router to any part of the world connect it to dsl and i get cel phone calls to usa for free?
I’m using a T-Mobile US phone (Sammsung Katalyst) in the UAE through an Apple Airport Express right now. What a cool way to call the US while on the road…
t-mobile tells me that if you’re outside the u.s., even if you’re on a wifi network, that the calls will still be charged as roaming? has anybody had the service outside the u.s. for more than a month? have you seen your bill? i’d like to confirm this before i sign up. it makes no sense to me that they could charge roaming if the phone is working off wifi and not a cell tower, but who knows…
thanks!