The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site today that T-Mobile plans on launching a line of mobile phones this summer that can roam on Wi-Fi hotspots. The service, known as Hotspot at Home, will allow customers to make phone calls over Wi-Fi connections, in addition to transferring calls between cell networks and Internet hotspots without dropping phone calls.
Hotspot at Home has been in a trial phase in Seattle, Washington and is expected to launch nationwide this Summer.
I certainly welcome this feature in T-Mobile phones. There are certainly areas that I’m in each week where there is a Wi-Fi connection but no cell network signal. It would also be great if we could make free international phone calls via Wi-Fi hotspots. No word on whether this will be a possibility through T-Mobile, but this technology in general is definitely something to keep your eye on in the coming months.