T-Mobile Launches HotSpot @Home
T-Mobile has officially launched the long-anticipated HotSpot @Home service. The service allows the supported handsets to seamlessly switch between wi-fi and cellular networks to 
make and receive calls.
Included in the HotSpot @Home package is a wi-fi router that is used to create a wireless network at your home, creating a “hotspot” where you can enjoy VOIP service that doesn’t use up your plan’s minutes. As you go about your day, if you end up at one of T-Mobile’s nearly 8000 hotspots nationwide, your cell phone will switch to using the wi-fi network offered there. The switch is meant to happen seamlessly, meaning even if you’re on a call while walking into a Starbucks, the call will not be dropped.
Currently, only two phones work with the service, the Nokia 6086 and the Samsung T409—a, but I’m sure we’ll see more in the future as the service really takes off. Launching this service during the week of the iPhone hysteria seems odd, but then I saw this blog post and understood. It’s not a $500 fancy phone with all the bells and whistles. It’s a basic phone that saves you money. Genius!
For more tech news, visit sarahintampa.com
Tags: tampa
Loading ...
July 11th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
hey sarah, was cool of you to cover this. I called just out of curiousity after reading your blog and was further informed that the tmobile hotspot which one would create, thereby spawning a wireless connection—-
Well, in order to make it work in the first place (for your computer) you’d have to already have broadband or DSL.
So, it creates a hotspot for minutes but not for wireless networks. Bummer. It would cost you 19.95 on top of your DSL or broadband to piggyback it with ‘free’ tmobile wireless hotspot. I’m assuming that’s on top of the 19.95 some already pay for tmobile hotspot access??? Don’t know. Once I got my first question answered the rest seemed pointless.
It’s still WAY exciting. Obviously you sent me off to ask questions … so thanks again for telling us.
July 13th, 2007 at 11:38 am
An important factor to consider is what would happen to this system if the power were out, say for several days, after a hurricane or bad storm. (Or the cell towner knocked down.) I LOVE my cell phone, but I’m still not quite ready to quit clinging to my old land-line service.
July 16th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Me neither ! Karen (and others) there is a little known service of verizon that offers home service (stripped of course of most of the unused stuff) for 12 to 15 per month. I listened to a guy make the verizon phone sales person find it for him. Took him about a half hour but now his phone bill is NIL and that’s how it should be, eh?? He has all the services on his cell — but the land line is essential. I’ve gone back and forth on that but i believe it’s a needed feature. Cell phones just fall out of service when they feel like it. And I’ve seen live free die hard twice.
I guess this means the verizon employees will ramp up their stalking again. LOL