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T-Mobile goes national with HotSpot @Home WiFi calling
Following a limited launch last year in its hometown of Seattle, T-Mobile's finally pulling all the stops and taking its "HotSpot @Home" hybrid GSM / WiFi calling service national. A first among the US' big four carriers, @Home relies on traditional cell airwaves out in the field but switches seamlessly to WiFi when it gets within range of a T-Mobile hotspot or any other wireless router you've configured your phone to latch onto. For the millions of us with less-than-stellar reception in our homes, the service could be a life-saver -- and even better, WiFi minutes aren't deducted from your plan. Launch handsets are the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409, both of which will go out the door for $49.99 on contract and include a Linksys or D-Link router -- both specially designed for @Home service -- for free after rebate, though any 802.11b access point should work. The service itself will run $9.99 per month on individual and $19.99 on family plans for up to five handsets. Look for the equipment today in T-Mobile stores and on the carrier's website.
T-Mobile@Home to launch on June 27?
It's been a minute or two in the making, but it looks like T-Mobile's UMA rollout -- the first for a national US carrier -- could finally be around the corner. Boy Genius Report has come across some pretty authentic-looking documents detailing the "@Home" service launch, suggesting that it'll roll out next Wednesday, June 27 (probably for the best they don't try it two days later) with the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409 doing duty as the launch handsets. Here's where it gets good, though: the marketing campaign will apparently involve commercials featuring some bathrobe-clad dude named Jimmy. T-Mobile's really taking Jimmy to heart, asking its in-store reps to dress up in Jimmy's bathrobe's for the few days after @Home's launch, culminating in a July 3 contest where eleven stores across the country offer free @Home phones, routers, and service to the first 100 similarly dressed customers. This should be... interesting.Read - part 1Read - part 2
