T-Mobile’s @Home Landline service
T-Mobile’s new @Home landline service looks nice at first glance, but there’s a problem. Why does it include an expensive wireless router? The router carries a $49 purchase price, and the hidden cost of the device is subsidized in a 2 year service agreement. No thanks.
It’s aggravating that voice companies package everything inside their own custom wireless router. They obviously do this to avoid support issues with the masses, and at the same time, offer no alternative to those who have invested in more sophisticated gear and know how to support it themselves. If I was interested in the service, I’m sure I could make it work behind another vendor’s NAT gateway, but where’s the less expensive alternative which does not bundle wireless and routing services?
I’m a T-Mobile customer, and I use their UMA @ Home service on my Blackberry, but a contract agreement and an expensive device which bundles redundant features that I don’t need make this unattractive to me. Why would I want to use this when other VoIP providers are happy to sell me only the hardware I need with no contract agreement? Why do I care about unlimited US calls when I can add that same feature to my mobile phone for the same price with no contract extension? Is the look and feel of an analog home phone really that addictive?