Great way for U.S. customers to roam!

snidely · **Great way for U.S. customers to roam! -** 14-07-2007, 19:14

As I previously mentioned in another thread, T-Mobile U.S. has come out with a couple combination wifi/GSM phones. For $10/mo. you can get unlimited calling if within range of an accessible wifi. You can use it w.o. getting the $10 option, but usage comes out of your normal bucket of minutes. They call this option "hotspot@home".

We just ran a test. My wifi TMobile phone is in Costa Rica. Calls to and from were virtually as good as over GSM. I went on line and the T-M site DOES show those calls on my account as being UMA (wifi) calls, meaning that phone can receive calls for free and call any U.S. number without cost. (I had been afraid they may charge the $3/min. roaming charge for Costa Rica since, technically, they would know the connection was via Costa Rican ISP.)

I think this T-M service alone might suit some intl. travelers fm. the U.S. This, in combination w. a intl. SIM card of choice would be a good combo.

I think some European carriers have this wifi/GSM service. Can they do the same thing?

...mike

andy · 14-07-2007, 19:32

It comes out of your minutes?

Why not use a different VoIP provider instead?

You could get hundreds of minutes a month to USA - free

DRNewcomb · 10-08-2007, 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy

It comes out of your minutes?

Why not use a different VoIP provider instead?

You could get hundreds of minutes a month to USA - free

Andy,
I've asked myself the same question. Or, why not just use my Palm for VOIP? One thing about American cellular subscriptions is that the per minuite cost is so low that it is almost free. Some plans give you 3000 minutes for less than US$40/month and you may even get unlimited night and weekend calling too. So, with this sort of plan, I guess you'd be able to sit in CR and chat on your cell phone for hours at night and on weekends with no extra charge whatsoever. And you'd be using your same incoming and outgoing number as if you were still in the US; same address book, etc.

jeffharris · 11-08-2007, 07:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

Andy,
I've asked myself the same question. Or, why not just use my Palm for VOIP? One thing about American cellular subscriptions is that the per minuite cost is so low that it is almost free. Some plans give you 3000 minutes for less than US$40/month and you may even get unlimited night and weekend calling too. So, with this sort of plan, I guess you'd be able to sit in CR and chat on your cell phone for hours at night and on weekends with no extra charge whatsoever. And you'd be using your same incoming and outgoing number as if you were still in the US; same address book, etc.

I think it is nice because it is EASY, and SIMPLE. You can use your same trusty GSM device, with the same phone number SIM, and seamlessly hand off. I guess that works for some people. Especially when I am in the Hollywood Hills in LA, it's nice to be able to hand off to a router, and use my cell in an area of no signal.

DRNewcomb · 11-08-2007, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffharris

I think it is nice because it is EASY, and SIMPLE. You can use your same trusty GSM device, with the same phone number SIM, and seamlessly hand off. I guess that works for some people. Especially when I am in the Hollywood Hills in LA, it's nice to be able to hand off to a router, and use my cell in an area of no signal.

I agree that easy and simple have a lot to do with this system being attractive. OTOH if the cost were ~25c/min instead of ~2.5c/min I think the easy & simple part would not be so important.

snaimon · **Germany WIFI experience -** 11-08-2007, 23:17

I don't want to downplay the usefulness of @ home/wifi arrangements, but all that glitters is not gold. The WFI coverage was not good at all.

Back from 2 + weeks in Germany, Duesseldorf, Berlin & Frankfurt area. Stayed @ hotels in each place. Here are my WIFI experiences.

In Duesseldorf we stayed @ a small hotel with no WIFI or internet. Spent some time with wife's relatives and none of them had WIFI. First 7 nights. There was an internet cafe close at 2 Euros per hour.

Berlin Crown Plaza WIFI/internet rates: 30 min, 5 Euro; 120 min 10 Euro; 1 day 12.5 Euro.... 4 days 46 Euros. Needless to say I did not sign up. Next 6 nights. There were two internet cafes quite close at 2 Euros per hour.

Frankfurt (actually Gross Gerau). WIFI hotspot by T-Mobile Germany. Well, I did not even bother. Final 3 nights. There were two internet cafes quite close at 1 Euros per hour.

Stan

bbob · 16-07-2007, 08:57

wifi wow great. So when outside the usa you have a computer that shows you all available wifi access points ?
When you find a point you want to stay within 50 metre of that point so you can be called ?

Wifi is nice but using t-mobile you can only use their access point. Wifi has a limited range.
Wifi is nice when staying at hotels or working in a restaurent or starbuck or mcdonalds.

But wifi is in no way a replacement for cell phone bacause of very limited availablility and range.
Just to call wifi it's to much trouble finding an access point.

snidely · 09-08-2007, 01:41

I didn't mean to say wifi is a replacement for cell. It is useful if you are, for eg., staying in someone's home for a few days overseas or be in an office for some amount of time etc. When in Costa Rica, at a friend's home, several people made use of the free calling back home.
It's just another tool. There isn't just one tool out there that will work for everyone in every situation.
BTW, there is free wifi at Ft. Lauderdale airport AND as i recall, at the San Jose, CR airport.
Phone worked fine.

...mike

Stu · 09-08-2007, 14:04

I think TMobile's Hot Spot at home is an interesting solution. I do pretty much the same thing using my E61. I mostly use Truphone on it, but also have Fring.

The thing I was curious about with TMobile's Hotspot at Home was what ports it uses and how similar the UMA protocol was to the industry standard protocols. Whle the program is still relatively small, it occurred to me that some of the problems people have visiting places such as D ubai, might be eliminated

jeffharris · 09-08-2007, 16:10

Well, I actually was going to go to T-Mobile today to query about the HotSpot@home, but, I'll ask here.

Of course, I am international half the year, so, this potentially is great, and I had thought about this when I heard about the service.

But, must I carry around the T-mobile Wifi router, or, can I use my Apple airport Express I carry with me, to make my hotel rooms wireless?

Meaning, is the HotSpot@home a software based connection from via any Wifi phone (like my TyTN), or, is it something you can use any Wifi phone, but also exclusive only through using their Wifi router?

	(#1)
snidely (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 451 Join Date: 09 May 2005 Location: Berkeley, California and Miami Country:	Great way for U.S. customers to roam! - 14-07-2007, 19:14 As I previously mentioned in another thread, T-Mobile U.S. has come out with a couple combination wifi/GSM phones. For $10/mo. you can get unlimited calling if within range of an accessible wifi. You can use it w.o. getting the $10 option, but usage comes out of your normal bucket of minutes. They call this option "hotspot@home". We just ran a test. My wifi TMobile phone is in Costa Rica. Calls to and from were virtually as good as over GSM. I went on line and the T-M site DOES show those calls on my account as being UMA (wifi) calls, meaning that phone can receive calls for free and call any U.S. number without cost. (I had been afraid they may charge the $3/min. roaming charge for Costa Rica since, technically, they would know the connection was via Costa Rican ISP.) I think this T-M service alone might suit some intl. travelers fm. the U.S. This, in combination w. a intl. SIM card of choice would be a good combo. I think some European carriers have this wifi/GSM service. Can they do the same thing? ...mike Make use of T-M's UMA/wifi free calling from any place in the world with access to wifi. I use an LG G6, wife an S7) A/o Oct 20, 2013 no need for intl prepaid as T-Mobile U.S. includes voice roaming at 20¢/min (in and out)., unlimited text (in and out), and unlimited data in 140+ countries. My Plan -[6 lines] U.S. T-Mobile unlimited minutes (incoming and outgoing), unlimited text, fast data on each line. that $145/mo. total! . (In U.S. no surcharge for calling a cell.) If a line exceeds 2G of data in a month, pay $10 more for that line. [That only happens a couple times/year.

	(#2)
andy (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,128 Join Date: 10 Dec 2004 Country:	14-07-2007, 19:32 It comes out of your minutes? Why not use a different VoIP provider instead? You could get hundreds of minutes a month to USA - free

	(#6)
snaimon (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Specialist Posts: 898 Join Date: 17 Mar 2004 Location: Richmond, VA USA Country:	Germany WIFI experience - 11-08-2007, 23:17 I don't want to downplay the usefulness of @ home/wifi arrangements, but all that glitters is not gold. The WFI coverage was not good at all. Back from 2 + weeks in Germany, Duesseldorf, Berlin & Frankfurt area. Stayed @ hotels in each place. Here are my WIFI experiences. In Duesseldorf we stayed @ a small hotel with no WIFI or internet. Spent some time with wife's relatives and none of them had WIFI. First 7 nights. There was an internet cafe close at 2 Euros per hour. Berlin Crown Plaza WIFI/internet rates: 30 min, 5 Euro; 120 min 10 Euro; 1 day 12.5 Euro.... 4 days 46 Euros. Needless to say I did not sign up. Next 6 nights. There were two internet cafes quite close at 2 Euros per hour. Frankfurt (actually Gross Gerau). WIFI hotspot by T-Mobile Germany. Well, I did not even bother. Final 3 nights. There were two internet cafes quite close at 1 Euros per hour. Stan Phones: DASH V3 (3) Service: US T-MO post paid (2) - US T-MO prepaid (2) - UM+ - TravelSIM DE SIMYO - DE SUNSIM T-Mobile DE Calling Cards: Onesuite Enjoyprepaid AT&T MCI Mobivox

	(#7)
bbob (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 499 Join Date: 20 Feb 2007 Country:	16-07-2007, 08:57 wifi wow great. So when outside the usa you have a computer that shows you all available wifi access points ? When you find a point you want to stay within 50 metre of that point so you can be called ? Wifi is nice but using t-mobile you can only use their access point. Wifi has a limited range. Wifi is nice when staying at hotels or working in a restaurent or starbuck or mcdonalds. But wifi is in no way a replacement for cell phone bacause of very limited availablility and range. Just to call wifi it's to much trouble finding an access point.

	(#8)
snidely (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 451 Join Date: 09 May 2005 Location: Berkeley, California and Miami Country:	09-08-2007, 01:41 I didn't mean to say wifi is a replacement for cell. It is useful if you are, for eg., staying in someone's home for a few days overseas or be in an office for some amount of time etc. When in Costa Rica, at a friend's home, several people made use of the free calling back home. It's just another tool. There isn't just one tool out there that will work for everyone in every situation. BTW, there is free wifi at Ft. Lauderdale airport AND as i recall, at the San Jose, CR airport. Phone worked fine. ...mike Make use of T-M's UMA/wifi free calling from any place in the world with access to wifi. I use an LG G6, wife an S7) A/o Oct 20, 2013 no need for intl prepaid as T-Mobile U.S. includes voice roaming at 20¢/min (in and out)., unlimited text (in and out), and unlimited data in 140+ countries. My Plan -[6 lines] U.S. T-Mobile unlimited minutes (incoming and outgoing), unlimited text, fast data on each line. that $145/mo. total! . (In U.S. no surcharge for calling a cell.) If a line exceeds 2G of data in a month, pay $10 more for that line. [That only happens a couple times/year.

	(#9)
Stu (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,091 Join Date: 11 Feb 2004 Location: Detroit (formerly Dubai) Country:	09-08-2007, 14:04 I think TMobile's Hot Spot at home is an interesting solution. I do pretty much the same thing using my E61. I mostly use Truphone on it, but also have Fring. The thing I was curious about with TMobile's Hotspot at Home was what ports it uses and how similar the UMA protocol was to the industry standard protocols. Whle the program is still relatively small, it occurred to me that some of the problems people have visiting places such as D ubai, might be eliminated

	(#10)
jeffharris (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 55 Join Date: 14 Aug 2006 Location: Los Angeles & NY Country:	09-08-2007, 16:10 Well, I actually was going to go to T-Mobile today to query about the HotSpot@home, but, I'll ask here. Of course, I am international half the year, so, this potentially is great, and I had thought about this when I heard about the service. But, must I carry around the T-mobile Wifi router, or, can I use my Apple airport Express I carry with me, to make my hotel rooms wireless? Meaning, is the HotSpot@home a software based connection from via any Wifi phone (like my TyTN), or, is it something you can use any Wifi phone, but also exclusive only through using their Wifi router?