http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/ Engadget Mobile Comments for Details emerge on T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home "Talk Forever" setup http://mobile.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://mobile.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
T-Mobile has three different services that apparently for which couldn't think of other unique names.

HotSpot = Internet service through Wi-Fi at specific locations (Starbucks, Borders, Airports, etc.)
HotSpot@Home = UMA on your cell phone through Wi-Fi
HotSpot@Home Talk Forever Home Phone Service = way too long of a name but gives you your landline service through Wi-Fi/VoIP but on a T-Mobile bill instead of your current carrier.

They're 3 distinct product offerings with unfortunately similar names. The main difference according to the information above is that unlike Hotspot which is available either without a T-Mobile mobile phone line (aka "GSM line") -or- on the bill as a T-Mobile mobile phone line, HS@HTFHPS is not available stand-alone - it's only available as an add-on to an already-existing mobile subscriber account.

This isn't just a HotSpot@Home on steroids. It's a totally different product with a different phone # other than your mobile #. The SIM Card "support" in the router is because that's how it stores your information.

The SIM Card for the "Talk Forever" line goes *IN* the router. Your phone plugs *IN* to the router. You use it like you would use your regular landline - at your home. You're NOT using your cell phone. You're NOT using your cell phone number. It's a separate phone line entirely.

"Customers may use their existing home phone unit with the HotSpot @Home Wireless Router with Home Phone Connection." (i.e. NOT your cell phone)
"The Wireless Router is capable of handling up to two SIM cards and two separate home phone lines."

For example, if I have my landline through comcast (say 555-555-1212) and I have my mobile phone through T-Mobile (say 555-555-1313), I can port the 1212 number to T-Mobile, get this service, and have 2 lines through T-Mobile - one landline through VoIP with unlimited calling (like Vonage) and one mobile phone through GSM. Now the GSM line may be able to use UMA if the phone supports it, but that's through the @Home service, not the Talk Forever Home Phone service.

A good way to think of this is like getting Vonage (they even compare it in the info above) but only available to T-Mobile customers.]]>Jan 23rd 2008 3:33PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
Your analysis is much appreciated. But what this tells me is that this plan is complex to the point of being unintelligible to the majority of subscribers.

Suppose I want to keep my Verizon landline (which is independent of my ISP and not VoIP-based). Will these new routers allow for that? I keep a low-budget Verizon account because there is NO internet service ANYWHERE that does not occasionally go down.

]]>Jan 24th 2008 10:48AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
The "New routers" that allow for the Home Phone part, if you want to keep your landline with Verizon, would not be something you would want to purchase - instead you would just purchase the standard HotSpot@Home router like you currently can today, and continue to use your UMA-capable cell phone.

Although it's tough to tell from the specs given above, I would imagine that the new router would still allow for the standard @Home service as well as the new Home Phone service. Otherwise that would force a person to have 2 routers, which seems a bit excessive. Just like with standard UMA @Home service you don't have to have a GSM phone and a UMA phone, it's one phone with both capabilities. But you would need to get a UMA-capable phone instead of an existing GSM-only phone. In a similar way, I would imagine that the Home Phone routers would still allow the standard @Home service along with the Home Phone service, but if you didn't want the Home Phone service you wouldn't have to buy one of the new routers.]]>Jan 25th 2008 7:02PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/So with this AP, whoever has hotspot@home plan will be able to make a call just like before.
On top of that, the new AP will have two sim card slots and two pot slots for regualr phones.
You may think of linksys vonage AP. However the new AP will replace VoIP part with UMA.]]>Jan 24th 2008 2:59PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
BTW she was super nice and back dated my update to HotSpot@Home Talk Forever for the whole billing cycle, so for all of Februrary I'll pay $10 rather than $20 for my family HotSpot@Home. Not bad.]]>Feb 6th 2008 3:11PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
"Talk forever is hotspot @ home. They are just changing the name because they are having some confusion with t-mobile hotspots. But in orlando market and I do believe two other markets have been testing it out for 9.99$ monthly and its has had a great response. So we will be changing the price nation wide.
EXISTING customers on this service need to CALL customer service or you can pm me and get that changed. YOU WILL NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY MIGRATED TO THE 9.99$ PRICING.

Also we are updating the way the service works.it actually gives customers the ability to have unlimited calling through their home phone service. We will have a new router that will support two sim cards one for your home phone and one for your mobile phone. I will post more information as soon as I can."

So basically this service can be used as Hotspot@Home as well, if not, replaces it. You don't NEED to utilize the homeline/router part, unless you want to. Apparently the new router costs $49.99 and you get it refunded after 8 weeks of service.

"I went in2 the store today. The service is a monthly charge of $9.99. The router is $49.99 w/ a full refund in 6 to 8 weeks. Hope it makes my black hole of a condo service improve!! Cross your fingers"]]>Feb 7th 2008 5:04PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/Feb 6th 2008 3:23PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/Feb 7th 2008 10:47PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
The names however, eek. The HotSpots (in Starbucks, Borders, etc) will be phased out in the next 5 years once their contract with AT&T expires. But in the mean time it would be wise for T-Mobile to keep "HotSpot" in Starbucks, etc but changed the "HotSpot@Home" (UMA) to "Talk Forever" while retaining the same features and price, and dub "HotSpot@Home Talk Forever" as "Talk Forever@Home."

There is no reason to keep adding names and abbreviations to an already complicated title--have you every had the voice prompt system with T-Mobile understand the difference between HotSpot and HotSpot@Home? I haven't.

I doubt they would have dropped the HS@H (UMA) back to $9.99 unless they needed room for a pricier HS@HTF package.

Oh and T-Mobile, you have my number, and address to send me my check!]]>Feb 14th 2008 4:40AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/Feb 15th 2008 5:06PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
Thanks!!]]>Feb 20th 2008 6:13PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/If I live overseas and use my wireless router at home with a wi-fi compatible phone will i be able to receive calls? How about making calls to the usa? TMobile wont be able to determine where i am, right? If i understand this correctly there should not be any roaming charges when i use wi-fi, correct?]]>Feb 21st 2008 1:01PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://www.tiltyourworld.com/calendar/list.asp]]>Jan 22nd 2008 4:57PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
I was having fun talking on the Apple Store's open WiFi network with my T-Mobile Blackberry Curve. :) Kinda threw the iPhone fanatics off balance...]]>Jan 22nd 2008 5:45PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/Jan 22nd 2008 5:51PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
"* Current wireless routers without a home phone connection, even if sold by T-Mobile, are NOT compatible. "]]>Jan 22nd 2008 10:08PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
My Nokia 6086, as limited as it was, at least got all 5 bars in UMA mode]]>Jan 22nd 2008 5:54PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
As for the website, it's already been removed and replaced with the GoDaddy parking page.]]>Jan 22nd 2008 11:01PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/Jan 23rd 2008 8:55AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/22/details-emerge-on-t-mobiles-hotspot-home-talk-forever-setup/
Yes - I have the latest handheld OS - 4.2.2.180]]>Jan 23rd 2008 9:10AM