T-Mobile USA continues to test a Wi-Fi-based, dual-mode phone approach to fixed-mobile integration, allowing users to send and receive calls and messages using their in-home broadband network and a Wi-Fi router instead of sending and receiving messages and calls over the mobile network. The user advantage is that the airtime plan isn't decreased when using the Wi-Fi connection.
The tests began last June in Seattle and now is providing service in Seattle and Dallas.
The additional monthly cost is $10 for the "Hotspot at Home" feature, which isn't much of an issue. The issue is that the service only works with two phone models, the BlackBerry Curve and the Samsung T409.
Someday handset limitations won't be so big a deal, as more devices come natively equipped with Wi-Fi, and when operators stop disabling the function. But right now, the limitation to just two devices is an issue that will limit adoption.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
T-Mobile USA Continues Fixed-Mobile Trial
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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