 kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | Good Deal... ...if you must have a "land line".
However, you could just buy UMA handsets from T-Mo and get the Talk Forever Mobile package for $9.99 and gives up to 5 people on a family plan unlimited calling from ANY accessible hotspot, not just a cordless phone at home.
The 49.99 price for non-mobile customers seems a little off though. You'd have to be an idiot to for that for more than one reason. First, you could get a real POTS line for that much. Second, you could get a T-Mo mobile phone with 1000 minutes and then just add the home phone for $9.99 and still have it cost the same $49.99.
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»www.DumbLogic.com |
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IanR
join:2001-03-22
Madison, NJ | I find the way T-Mobile presents this service is rather confusing and I struggle to understand the various permutations.
At first read it appears one MUST use their router, then one finds that the UMA phones work equally well over ANY open WiFi service and if you know the say WEP etc. code over any encrypted service as well. I know TM says there router has better QoS but I just wonder...
I must use the gray cells to find out how much a 2 person family plan would cost with this. |
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kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | There are two different services.
Hotspot@Home/TalkForever Mobile
Tmobile@Home/Talk Forever
The first one is the mobile version that gives you unlimited calling FROM UMA CAPABLE MOBILE HANDSETS. The add-on is $9.99. On an individual plan, that $9.99 covers the individual line. On a family plan the $9.99 covers all the lines on the family plan for one fee.
This service used to be $9.99/ind and $19.99/fam when it was first introduced, then it was changed to 19.99/ind and 29.99/fam. Then it was changed back down to 9.99/ind and 9.99/line for each line on a family plan.
But now they have finally settled on 9.99 for both individual and 9.99 per family plan (ie, one 9.99 fee covers all lines on a family plan)
The second option has nothing to do with mobile phones at all. It's essentially a Vonage replacement. If you're a T-Mobile customer, you essentially "add a line" for $9.99 or if you're not a T-Mo mobile customer then you pay $49.99.
Either way, you get unlimited calling from home just like with Vonage et al.
If you already have 5 lines on a family plan, you cannot add the 9.99 home line because their billing system bills the 9.99 as it would for a mobile add-a-line...and family plans only allow a max of 5 lines.
You can have both the mobile and home services for 9.99 each...but as i said in the original post...why would you want to? If you have UMA handsets and the unlimited add-on...unless you REALLY want to talk on a "home" phone, you already have unlimited wifi calling.
You don't have to use the T-Mo router for the mobile UMA service...any accessible hotspot will do. For the Home service YOU DO NEED TO USE their router as the router essentially has a built in ATA, again like Vonage.
The QoS claims are a bit dubious. I've used many routers with their service and the quality is pretty consistent...the QoS doesn't seem to make a difference.
See...not confusing at all 
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»www.DumbLogic.com |
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IanR
join:2001-03-22
Madison, NJ | You have saved a few hours of my life. with that short. but very comprehensive description.
Thanks
Seems to me that somebody at T-Mobile is a very innovative thinker. But whosoever is in charge of marekting/selling it lacks clarity as the T-Mobile website is very confusing on the options. |
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