CCrane WIFI2 Radio

Cell Phones That Make Calls Via WiFi

Techstination feature for Thursday, July 19, 2007

Cell phones that make calls via WiFi. Bloomberg Boot Camp, a report on today's technology. It's a new service from TMobile called HotSpotAtHome. And the idea….is to let customers make unlimited calls with their cell phones…using WiFi…without using up their regular plan minutes. TMobile VP David Beigie…says it will allow more people to use their mobile phone…as their only phone…

"Really it solves a problem that's been around for a while. People are not wanting to have a landline phone anymore. Thirty percent of young people have just left landline phones altogether. So they're really looking for a wireless phone that can do it all. And we took the time to invent a wireless phone that works over our wireless network when you're running around and when you come home, it works over your wireless network. Which allows you to make unlimited calling, great call quality, and not burn your wireless minutes. So it's kind of a revolutionary product."

Calls are handed over seamlessly between the mobile and WiFi networks. Whether a call is using minutes depends on where it originated. Introductory pricing for the service is an extra ten dollars a month. It works on either of two new handsets…

"Right now we've got two new handsets, one from Nokia and one from Samsung…and very soon we'll be putting it across lots of handsets across out lineup."

Including some smartphones. Unfortunately, it won't work with previous models…even if they have WiFi capability. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.