In less than 24 hours, T-Mobile is going to be “revolutionizing the home phone.” What new technological advancement will they be unveiling? What can they do to shake up the industry and get consumers excited again about VoIP? What will be their key to success where so many other providers have failed?
How about cheap phone calls? Ten bucks a month for unlimited domestic calls. Haven’t we seen this before? Like the talented and versatile, yet tragically typecast actor….VoIP may as well stand for:
Valuable
only for
Inexpensive
Phonecalls
Where T-Mobile is really innovating here:
A – Their huge ad spend for a promised deluge of cheesy lifestyle marketing
B – Their co-opting of July 4th, Independence Day as a brand vehicle
C – Pushing the envelope of “fine print”
Plus taxes and fees. Limited-time offer; subject to change. T-Mobile @Home® Phone service: Qualifying rate plan,
Read: You have to be an existing T-Mobile customer spending $39.99 per month. There is also a $35 activation fee. Did I mention the 2-Year service contract? Feelin’ Free Yet?
T-Mobile @Home Phone plan, T-Mobile @Home HiPort™ Wireless Router and broadband Internet connection required. T-Mobile @Home General Terms: Nationwide voice-only plan; all data, messaging, international use, and other services billed according to your regular rate plan and other pricing. ©2008 T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Read: You also have to have a broadband internet connection, so figure $30/month there. The wireless router…we’re gonna go ahead and ding you $50 for that as well.
Independence is defined as being “not subject to the control of others”. T-Mobile’s @Home offering is a countermeasure against churn, devised to keep their customers anything but “independent”, gussied up and wrapped in an american flag. I don’t see much to get excited about here.
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Isn't this the deal where all your friends make "free" calls from their iPhones (or other smart phone) via VoIP thru your router? Or did I miss something?
No, that was their HotSpot@Home program....this is something entirely new.
(I think where it will really gain momentum is from t-mobile customers already using vonage and if you think of all the voip residential users who already keep high speed and their cell phone... then this would be a big attack on keeping their landline)
No one should sing up for it until they do away with the required 2 year agreement. If the product works well no one would leave. I don't mine paying a fair price for a router but if you do not sign the agreement you have to pay $150.00us for the stupid thing. It would cost me close to $200.00 us to sign up, so where is the savings???