cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
 ·VoicePulse for Bus..
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| T-Mobile UMA does VoIP +
»www.t-mobile.com/Promotions/Hots···ore.aspx
»www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com/
»www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Det···81a459ce
»www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Det···d1321b85
»support.t-mobile.com/knowbase/ro···.htm#top
»support.t-mobile.com/knowbase/ro···.htm#top
Anyone tried it yet? |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
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| T-Mobile agreed to send me 2 free Nokia 6086 phones and a Linksys wireless for $50 with a $50 rebate. This requires a 2 year extension, no plan change until I'm ready, and a 14 day return window. If I don't buy the VoIP package ($10 individual or $20 family plan) I can use the feature against my regular minute pool. I'll post a review after I give it a go.
With Asterisk and myFaves ...  |
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nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY | reply to cbrain
T-Mobile is currently offering a great calling plan - one that I got three years ago and had not seen available since. It's 1,000 anytime minutes with free nights and weekends for $39.99. This would go very well with their new wi-fi feature. |
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dublus
join:2000-08-24
Moorpark, CA
1 edit | reply to cbrain
I understand the implication of * with MyFavs but I think t-mo would notice all your calls going to the same number.
What does "buying the VOIP package" do ?
I'm guessing it just changes the way the minutes are counted - but that implies the wifi calls going through the router are using t-mobile VOIP.
Would there be a way to use your own router with your own VOIP service ? Couldn't this be accomplished with third party firmware in the router or are the VOIP settings hard-coded into the phone ? |
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nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
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| said by dublus  :I understand the implication of * with MyFavs but I think t-mo would notice all your calls going to the same number. What does "buying the VOIP package" do ? I'm guessing it just changes the way the minutes are counted - but that implies the wifi calls going through the router are using t-mobile VOIP. Would there be a way to use your own router with your own VOIP service ? Couldn't this be accomplished with third party firmware in the router or are the VOIP settings hard-coded into the phone ? There was an article in last week's NY Times about the new service. I asked a T-Mobile rep about it in one of their stores today.
All calls to domestic US numbers are free and unlimited when initiated under the wi-fi service. If you initiate a call while within a wi-fi hotspot, leave that hotspot and the call continues on a normal cell tower the call continues to be free and unlimited. Conversely, calls initiated with normal cell service continue to use minutes even if you roam into a hotspot.
Further, even calls initiated outside the USA in a wi-fi hotspot are free when made to USA numbers. So you can be in Tokyo and call someone in New York and talk for free.
The $10/month charge is only available for July - it goes up to $20/month thereafter.
The special I mentioned above of $39.99/month for 1,000 anytime minutes and unlimited nights/weekends is not available in stores anymore. The salesperson said it expired on June 30. I still see it on their website. |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
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| reply to cbrain
The phones and wireless router arrived today. Simple setup and everything works. I can start a call over LAN, move out of range and the call switches to cellular network and back. I need to do some reading and testing to determine how to best use my new toy. |
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mazilo
From Mazilo
Premium
join:2002-05-30
Lilburn, GA
| said by cbrain :I can start a call over LAN, move out of range and the call switches to cellular network and back. Was the switching subtle?
--
Mazi (UK Non-Geo Phone: +44-703-194-2574) |
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
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| said by mazilo :Was the switching subtle? Excepting the drum roll ... I could only tell by looking at the display to see it had switched. I did need to enable "wireless router handovers" after my first test failed. Seems like a useless option to me. |
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hfrisch
join:2007-02-13
Holmdel, NJ
| reply to cbrain
T-Mobile is using UMA technology - which is (more or less) GSM sent via a VPN tunnel over WiFi/IP. They seem to be set up with all of the IP connected calls going into one "cell". In that environment, handing over should work fine, provided that you are somewhere that they are expecting a hand over.
In the international use case (Japan is not a great choice as there is no GSM there), the phone will seem to be USA local so long as it is in a WiFi covered place that you can use, since you would be reaching T-Mobile USA via public internet. On the other hand, if you leave the hot spot, for example in the UK, the UK GSM network is not expecting a hand over from a New York phone as it would not likely be administered with New York as a neighboring switch. In that case, the call would drop -- which is probably a good thing, since I would expect that T-Mobile would go to their more traditional $2/minute for international roaming if you actually used a roaming GSM network.
On the question of using "any other" VoIP service - with these phones and this technology, you can't. To do that, you would need a SIP/GSM phone, though those would be less likely to have anything like a seamless hand over as that would require cooperation between different VoIP and Cellular carriers - which is not too likely. |
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Quattrohead
join:2005-02-09 | Any way of connecting your home phones into this system and have them use your t-mobile account ? |
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cgigate
join:2003-05-12
Fort Worth, TX
1 edit | said by Quattrohead :Any way of connecting your home phones into this system and have them use your t-mobile account ? No, you can not! unless you have a equipment of UMA with home phone adapter
It is UMA . it is GSM on Wi-Fi. |
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cgigate
join:2003-05-12
Fort Worth, TX
1 edit | reply to cbrain
said by cbrain :The phones and wireless router arrived today. Simple setup and everything works. I can start a call over LAN, move out of range and the call switches to cellular network and back. I need to do some reading and testing to determine how to best use my new toy. Do you need to add $10 home@hotspot plan to make Wi-Fi calls ? |
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acmeco
join:2002-01-25
Phoenix, AZ
| I was told by a rep that you do NOT NEED THE $10 add on plan to make wi-fi calls....however they wifi calls you make will take minutes out of your "bucket"....
So, if you have enough minutes, but have bad coverage at home, work, etc, then you can do this with the right phone.
If, however you want unlimited wi-fi minutes you must do the add on plan for it to not take your airtime minutes.
Adam N.
Acme Photography.net
Recent Images on Flickr
MY BLOG |
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cgigate
join:2003-05-12
Fort Worth, TX
1 edit | reply to cbrain
That is great if you do not need to add $10 to make/receive Wi-Fi calls.
I have plenty of minutes, I wish I could make Wi-Fi calls when I travel aboard, all Wi-Fi is considered as domestic calls. |
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nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
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| reply to acmeco
said by acmeco :I was told by a rep that you do NOT NEED THE $10 add on plan to make wi-fi calls....however they wifi calls you make will take minutes out of your "bucket".... That's very interesting. This service can then be used to improve reception at home while acquiring a free router to boot. |
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cgigate
join:2003-05-12
Fort Worth, TX
4 edits | reply to cbrain
Also It is very interesting point,
If you initiate a call while within a wi-fi hotspot, leave that hotspot and the call continues on a normal cell tower the call continues to be free and unlimited.
if All calls to domestic US numbers are free and unlimited when initiated under the wi-fi service.
So when I travel aboard and initial a call from Wi-Fi, then walk away from Wi-Fi coverage into roaming GSM network, the call should be "free" forever. |
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acmeco
join:2002-01-25
Phoenix, AZ
| I would be very careful about assuming that overseas calls would be 100% free.
I believe that the cell first "talks" to the tower to register to the network. If you were roaming on some other 3rd party carrier (overseas) I'm not sure that the hotspot would always work.
If you were overseas where tmobile (or a division of tmo) has coverage it may work, however you may still need to "flip the switch" on roaming, so that the phone will register on the tower, (even though you would have no roaming charges when dialing from wifi)
I'm sure someone will try it and let us know.
Adam N.
»www.acmephotography.net - Web
»www.flickr.com/photos/acmephoto - Recent Images
»acmephoto.blogspot.com - BLOG |
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hfrisch
join:2007-02-13
Holmdel, NJ | reply to cbrain
If you were not roaming into what T-Mobile would have administered as an "adjacent cell", then the call won't hand over. If you call again, you'll be on local GSM - at $2/minute roaming. |
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nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
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| said by hfrisch :If you were not roaming into what T-Mobile would have administered as an "adjacent cell", then the call won't hand over. If you call again, you'll be on local GSM - at $2/minute roaming. It seems like that situation is going to result in a lot of pleas from customers to reduce their bills when that unknowingly happens. It is bound to create a lot of customer service problems with T-Mobile. It is also likely to result in more revenue for the company when people end up paying for calls they thought were free. |
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Quattrohead
join:2005-02-09
·VOIPo
| You may well get free calling outside the US if using WiFi, but I am 99% sure the call will be dumped or you will get charged at international rates once you go out of range of the WiFi. If you do not have international enabled on your cell, the call will end for sure. |
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