T-Mobile’s Trial Balloon — This is a poorly reported story since nothing is ever explained technically. This is typical of the new journalists who don’t know what questions to ask. And where is a picture of this so-called router? Furthermore when you read the story the service is sold for $5 a month? No mention is made of the obvious. It’s $5 on top whatever your cell bill is already. Anyway, this test is on Oregon, perhaps a reader actually has some details about this idea.

From Businessweek:

Why is this T-Mobile-At-Home service such a big deal? If this trial is successful and is followed by a full-blown rollout, it could open the floodgates on landline-to-wireless migration.

While today some 7% of Americans use their mobile as their primary phone, that number should climb to 40% within 10 years, figures Craig Mathias, president of wireless consultancy Farpoint Group. After all, if you can make calls from your mobile phone for, say, $5 a month—the amount T-Mobile is rumored to be charging during the at-home trial—why would you pay some $30 for a landline?



  1. mike says:

    I can’t wait till I can get WiMax net access where I live. As soon as that happens I’m going to be ditching my $35/month landline for good!

  2. tom says:

    Agree on the lack of any details. This is probably the WiFi type of phone service that is supposed to double up in the new class of mobile phones from Samsung, etc. T-Mobile is probably going to sell or “seed” their own router in the home so that they can keep track of those pesky VoIP calls coming from legit subscribers with said routers that just happen to drop into their network from any ole’ ISP out there… Otherwise, um, just how would that authorization take place? Such that no spoofing, etc., would take place? $5 for the privilege. Gosh, sounds like a great deal!

  3. Eideard says:

    I wonder if this will contain the rumored cell/VOIP combo I’ve heard about from friends at T-Mobile. They keep telling me something like this will be out before year end.

    I dropped my landline because I use both Skype and T-Mobile. If I had to pay another $5/month and it guaranteed to get me past the occasional problems getting past a PBX that Skype has — I’d consider it.

    Plus, everyone else wants $100+ to provide an adaptor to use the old landline phones scattered around the house.

  4. Improbus says:

    Great, now we can get our calls dropped at home. Sweet!

  5. Peter says:

    This is the Cell / VoIP via wi-fi combo phone. The hardware will switch to use 802.11 when in the presence of specific routers, thus not using your cellular minutes when at home or I would guess at T-mobile hotspots, ect. The cool part is that you can use one phone number and one piece of hardware for both Cellular and VoIP calling. 5 bucks is a very reasonable amount. I had figured that they would put it at $20 or more. At this price I can’t see it not catching on with T-mobile customers.

  6. ECA says:

    I have an Aunt, with a Wireless phone(not a Cellphone).
    And for SOME reason it took me 2 years to get her to understand 1 THING.
    When the power goes OUT, there is NO power to the BASE of the phone, and the phone WONT WORK.

    I dont care HOw many batteries you got. Taking care and feeding and Leraning HOW, is going to be a Major problem for many people.
    Coverage Area is going to be the second Problem.. there are HOLEs out there in the Cellphone coverage that could swollow Florida, texas and Leave you in a WORLD of hurt.
    AND there is 1 feature that is GOOD and bad…GPS. I dont want the Ability for our Government to track my Location, EVEn if I AM a nice person, I cant Call and make an anonomous call and RANT at my X-girl friend.

  7. James Hill says:

    Still comes down to one issue for me: Let my Tivo make its call over a cell phone with a 90% success rate and I’ll switch.

  8. D2 says:

    Yet another mindless ECA post. seriously, wtf are you talking about?

    “I cant Call and make an anonomous call and RANT at my X-girl friend.”
    What does this have to do with the article? When could you make an anonymous call to rant at someone on anything other than a payphone? You can still use a payphone for your anonymous calls, has nothing to do with voip, landlines, or mobile phones.

    ECA you need to read what you write before posting, and spend a few seconds thinking before typing. The sporadic caps lock is retarded.

  9. ECA says:

    Going from 7% with Cellphones, ONLY, to 40%??
    Or can you READ??
    How many people KEEP an extra battery.
    How many know HOW to condition a battery for LONG life(1-2 years)??

    How about the idea of being out and NOT getting a signal in emergencies?? How many DEAD zones do you know?? I know ALOT of them, I also know that only 2 companies get a decent signal around where I LIVE… And not for very far OFF of the freeway.

  10. ECA says:

    D2,
    What?
    You got a Public education in the last 20 years, and cant READ??
    Being able to type, and NOT be able to read is 1 GREAt accomplishment..
    Do it agin, like a GOOD little monkey..

  11. Improbus says:

    ECA, the way you write makes MY brain hurt.

  12. D2 says:

    ECA: once again proving my point by positng incoherant nonsense. care to explain your ignorant GPS comments above?

  13. ECA says:

    Considering that MOST phones are coming with builtin GPS…they can locate your body, where Ever I plant it..
    WHY would I want the Gov to have the ability to locate me, with a cellphone… Its 1 step below being Chipped..
    Might be an easy way to LEAD us to that, BEING chipped.

    Where is ‘Joe Blow’ he owes money to the IRS, we need to find him…

  14. D2 says:

    if you have a cellphone now “they” can already track your location if the phone is powered on and has reception, they dont need gps.

    I thought this was common knowledge by now.

    (yet another ECA)

  15. Jillorious says:

    Wrong! All they know is which tower you’re communicating with, or at most even from which angle. But thats about it. But todays’ 15-meter-precision GPR systems would supply them with far more accurate information.

  16. ECA says:

    14,
    WOW you didnt know that DID you….
    they can tell which Cell Tower you are Near, with in about 5-40 miles, depending on the Tower. but a 5 mile area, is about 15 Sq miles to search.
    ANd, have you seen the NEW advert, about a Phone for children, that lets parnets Locate them?? The GPS is full time.(by what I see) other wise it couldnt/wouldnt be of any use.

    http://www.kidswireless.com/articles/verizon-wireless-chaperone/

    And you THINK they wont make this for ALL phones…OR even to make it a secondary locating device, that dont ring up the phone.. Its to Easy of an option to implement.

  17. Podesta says:

    I see a big problem, at least regarding Portland. It is in the process of building a city-wide Wi-Fi network. So, using paid Wi-Fi at home would be redundant for anyone who has the coming free access.


0

Bad Behavior has blocked 9296 access attempts in the last 7 days.