T-Mobile to let mylos use HotSpot for free

Today Sony and T-Mobile announced a partnership allowing all mylo users (mylers? mylites? mylanta -- nevermind, that's already taken) to use T-Mobile's massive network of WiFi hotspots (appropriately known as HotSpot) for free until late 2007. To get you online hassle-free, Sony will be releasing a "special application" as a virtual permission slip to T-Mobile's network. Now for those of you keeping score, the mylo will cost $350, while a year's subscription to T-Mobile's HotSpot (if you're mylo-less) will cost you $360 -- so if you were thinking about getting T-Mobile anyway, you can now spend basically the same amount and get a cool piece of sexy hardware for free. But most probably, you'll only be able to access the HotSpots directly on the mylo, until of course, someone figures out a workaround.

[wraith808 @ Oct 13th 2006 12:30PM]

SPAM! Stop the spam...

[Kenjix @ Oct 13th 2006 7:43AM]

They should of done this for the PSP as well.

[MadMirko @ Oct 13th 2006 7:46AM]

They do this for the DS in Germany. Very nice. :)

[Z @ Oct 13th 2006 8:08AM]

Great job T-Mo. It's nice to know that the rest of us who have to PAY, get to support the costs of the network that Mylo users (mostly teens and tweens) will get to use for free.

And for those of us with data accounts who are PAYING anyway, how about offering us Hotspots for free, too? You know... your PAYING customers.

How about it, T-Mo?

[Alexander @ Oct 13th 2006 8:34AM]

Err... They do, Z. At least they did when I was signed up over 2 years ago.

Ditched that s**tty network and got me some Verizon. Half the problems people have with Verizon is the customer service. Never had a problem with it. E815 hacked to allow MP3 transfer via OBEX--Never dropped a call yet.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 13th 2006 8:33AM]

Be the coolest kid at the airport with no shoes and a ziplock bag full of liberty!

Woot!

[paulpod @ Oct 13th 2006 8:56AM]

plural of mylo users is MYLORDS surely?

[PanMan @ Oct 13th 2006 9:03AM]

How do they lock the service to a specific device? MAC based? Cause that's really easy spoofable. How does it work with the DS, that also has a deal with T-mobile?

[PEZ @ Oct 13th 2006 10:04AM]

Tmobile really needs to start leveraging their hotspots (more than they are, and thats a good chunk these days) If anything to just get people to use their network on SOME level. The PSP idea is a good one, mentioned above... DS, too.

[EdZ @ Oct 13th 2006 9:16AM]

Mylo-users... Mylosers?

Sorry, not intended as a jab, but I couldn't resist.

[nVidiot @ Oct 13th 2006 10:22AM]

Z: Relax.. these people pay Sony and then Sony pays T-Mobile.. they are paying customers. You really think T-Mobile doesn't make money off of this?

And they don't get the same level of service that you do.. they have to use this crap little device.. which is a closed device I'm sure.. so very little "support" needed.

[GadgetKen @ Oct 13th 2006 12:44PM]

Just got a Mylo by UPS yesterday. Has just the essential features I need when I don't want to lug around my subnotebook that weighs several times more. Pleased to hear about the free T-Mo Hotspot offer...I'll be sure to sign up for it(and might even stay with them after the year is up if the price is right and/or they offer a nice combo deal with cellphone service). While the screen is small, it will be more than adequate to check news and weather, airline schedule changes, and look at my email.

[Thinker @ Oct 13th 2006 2:33PM]

This is an awesome deal! I was not seriously thinking about getting the Mylo though I have a PSP and love it. But now with this deal, count me in... It allows me to evaluate the T-mobile service for close to a year for FREE! Thereafter, paying $360 for wireless Internet access, free Skype domestic and international calls, play MPEG-4 videos and recorded TV shows on it�s gorgeous screen, load and play music for 45 hours on one charge, expand it�s memory with inexpensive $29 - 1GB Memory Stick Duo cards - which I can also connect to my computer, any pay only $30 per month for T-mobile, though I will still keep my Sprint wireless phone, this thing is a must have. Now when I go to the local electronic store, I can instantly research the product to see if I should buy. I am sold! I may pick one up this weekend.

[theinvisiblemooseman @ Oct 13th 2006 7:11PM]

SPAM!

[Louis @ Oct 13th 2006 3:24PM]

wow thinker, you're so positively excited about this product it almost seems as if you're a "fan-boy" or apparently you work for sony

[Me!! @ Oct 13th 2006 5:38PM]

he spelled its wrong! lol

[Z @ Oct 14th 2006 8:28AM]

Alexander wrote:

"Err... They do, Z. At least they did when I was signed up over 2 years ago."


Well I'm not sure exactly where you had your T-Mo service, but had service with them for four years and they've never offered free WiFi. It used to be $30/mo on top of a $20/mo GPRS account. Now it's $30/mo for both ($20/mo for GPRS and $10 more for the WiFi).


nVidiot wrote:

"Z: Relax.. these people pay Sony and then Sony pays T-Mobile.. they are paying customers. You really think T-Mobile doesn't make money off of this?

And they don't get the same level of service that you do.. they have to use this crap little device.. which is a closed device I'm sure.. so very little "support" needed."


I'm not worked up about it, but some of the strategies companies employ don't always make sense (at least not at first, and then who's to say?). But how much do you think Sony will pay T-Mobile? I have no idea how or how much T-Mo will make off of this. Maybe nothing directly. Maybe they do this in hopes that it will lead Mylo users and others over to T-Mobile for their phone service and whatever else. You know how it goes; more marketing, more presence in the marketplace. Who knows? Whatever T-Mo receives, Mylo users aren't going to be paying what the rest of us T-Mo customers pay for WiFi service; we have to pay at least $240/year just for WiFi alone (without any GRPS, and $360/year with it), and that includes no device. But Mylo users get the service and the device, too, which would cost $350 anyway.

And what makes you think they wouldn't get the same Hotspot support? If they're on T-Mo's WiFi networks, why wouldn't they?

Just a thought.

[Z @ Oct 14th 2006 8:35AM]

Actually, I should append part of my last comment above:

"Well I'm not sure exactly where you had your T-Mo service, but I've had service with them for four years and they've never offered free WiFi. HotSpots used to be $30/mo on top of a $20/mo GPRS account. Now it's $30/mo for both (still $20/mo for GPRS but only $10 more for the WiFi). And that was WITH a voice account. Without voice, it's still $50/mo for both.

[Danny @ Oct 16th 2006 9:42PM]

cool, i'll get one soon. hehehehe--sorry PSP users!