 Convergence & VoIPThis newsletter is sponsored by Fluke NetworksNetwork World's Convergence & VoIP Newsletter, 07/09/07T-Mobile targets consumer fixed-mobile convergence with T-Moible HotSpot @HomeBy Steve Taylor and Larry HettickLate last month, Larry wandered down the hall to chat with colleagues who cover wireless services to find out about the latest and greatest mobile devices. And the office buzz was not (as expected) about the new iPhone from Apple; rather the analysts and internal IT team were checking out the new T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service. T-Mobile’s service is a fixed mobile convergence service that offers wireless voice connections over the T-Mobile GSM/GPRS/EDGE network, T-Mobile HotSpots, and a user’s in-home Wi-Fi connection. Calls made to and from an @Home HotSpot or any of T–Mobile’s 8,500 retail HotSpot locations use the Wi-Fi connection so callers don’t get charged minutes of use. When customers leave home or exit a T-Mobile HotSpot, their calls transfer onto T-Mobile’s cellular network, and calls also transfer from T- Mobile’s network onto Wi-Fi.
T-Mobile’ service is supported with a dual mode phone (currently only the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086 support the service) and each phone retails for $49.99 with a qualifying plan. D-Link and Linksys Wi-Fi routers are recommended for the HotSpot @Home service for simple setup, enhanced handset battery, and voice call quality; each is currently offered at no charge with the a mail-in rebate. The service can be added to any qualifying T-Mobile voice plan for only $9.99 per month for a single line, and $19.99 per month for up to five lines on a family plan. While it’s clear that this T-Mobile plan isn’t targeted to the enterprise market, it does open the door for some interesting possibilities – especially since T-Mobile doesn’t own a broadband wireline retail business. Unlike AT&T or Verizon, which have wireline voice businesses, and Vonage, which has a VoIP business to protect, T-Mobile may have much to gain in advancing FMC and the T-Mobile model may prove to be interestingly disruptive.
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| Contact the author: Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com Larry Hettick is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in voice and data. He is Vice President for Telecom Services and Infrastructure at Current Analysis, the leading competitive response solutions company. He can be reached at lhettick@currentanalysis.com This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke NetworksARCHIVEArchive of the Convergence & VoIP Newsletter. BONUS FEATUREIT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICESTo subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007 |
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