Digital Trends

T-Mobile HotSpot @Home

August 15th, 2007 | by Damon Brown

Features and Design

The concept behind T-Mobile@Home is simple: give customers a single phone and number to use at home and on the road for one price. The @Home cell phone automatically switches to Wi-Fi when you are at home (using the included wireless router) or at a T-Mobile wireless HotSpot. It gives you the normal T-Mobile coverage when you’re out of range. Special add-on plans let you have unlimited minutes when on Wi-Fi.

Style-conscious consumers will cringe at the phone selections. There are only two phones available at launch: the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086. Under other circumstances, either of the boxy clamshells would probably be given away for free with a two-year contract. Here, the prices start at $49.95. Adding insult to injury is that the current cell phones don’t work on the T-Mobile @Home network, even if you happen to have one of the two models already.

Current Wi-Fi Enabled Phones

Price

The phones start at $49.99, while either router runs $49.99 (again, with a limited-time-only full rebate). The phone and the router are the only necessary equipment.

Limited minute T-Mobile @Home plans start at $39.99, and any minute — via Wi-Fi or a regular cell call — is counted the same.

Unlimited minute T-Mobile @Home plans are $19.99 per month for single-line plans. Family-time plans run $29.99 and offer up to five individual lines (with one router). For a limited time, single and family plans are $9.99 and $19.99 a month. These @Home plans are actually add-ons to the traditional T-Mobile cell phone plans — albeit with the choice of only two phones — so consider the monthly fees in addition to your normal cell phone costs. The good news is that @Home offers unlimited minutes whenever you use the home router or another Wi-Fi spot. You just watch for the subtle logo change (in the upper left-hand corner) when you drift out of wireless range and into traditional cell phone coverage.

According to T-Mobile, billing is based on where the call originates. In other words, if you’re on the unlimited plan, starting a call while in a Wi-Fi network won’t tax your regular cell phone minutes. If you choose the limited minute plan, it won’t make a difference where you start the call. And, of course, if you start a cell call outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be charged like a normal call.