T-Mobile Launches HotSpot at Home Service in Selected Areas

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=200' target='_blank'>http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=200</a><br /><br /></div><i>"A couple of months ago I was offered a chance to beta test the upcoming T-Mobile UMA service and was given a full kit to try for 6 weeks. The kit consisted of a T-Mobile branded Linksys router and Samsung UMA WiFi-enabled phone. T-Mobile is now rolling out their HotSpot @ Home service to customers in the Puget Sound area of Washington State for more public testing purposes. You need to buy the WiFi enabled phone for US$49.99 and existing smartphones you may have with WiFi radios will not work."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Jerry-TMobile_hotspot.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Now here is a practical use for WiFi in Smartphones. I wonder if this will spread to Starbucks. Have any of you in the Puget Sound area heard of this or seen it in action? Is there anyone here in the Puget Sound area? :?

[zeke009]

More information needed before making a decision on this...

- How does their service work with my existing wired and wireless environment at home?
- What benefits will I see?
- So this adds yet another device to the modem and WAP/Router combo on my table?
- Why should I buy this service for $50 a month... not sure of that one.

[Jerry Raia]

If your coverage at home is flaky it might be worth considering.

[nwfoss]

I also beta tested two diffrent phones Nokia and Samsung. I was able to connect to any router at home or work the call quality was good and the hand offs between the two (WiFi/ GSM) worked well. the only problem that I had was battery life (on the Nokia)