As expected, T-Mobile held its Uncarrier 7.0 event today, this time focusing on improving coverage in people’s home and even in the air, using the power of Wi-Fi.
Basically, the idea is that you can use Wi-Calling on all future T-Mobile handsets and many existing models have had Wi-Fi calling support for a while now. Furthermore, Tmo is opening up wi-fi calling even to those that don’t have a phone that supports the technology like an older device or an unlocked phone like the Nexus 5. How are they accomplishing that? Through the use of a new T-Mobile Personal CellSpot, an 802.11ac home router that works as a “mini T-Mobile tower”, and can be picked up for a $25 deposit, which is refunded when returned. Prepaid customers can also get the CellSpot by buying it outright for $100.
Turning to the “in the air” coverage promise, T-Mobile is partnering up with Gogo to bring in-flight texts, pics and visual voicemail to its customers. T-Mobile says that three-quarters of all domestic flights across the US utilize Gogo for wireless while in the air, meanng that this deal should be great for frequent flyers that need a gateway to the web, texts and their voice messages even when in-flight.
While Uncarrier 7.0 probably isn’t the most exciting of T-Mobile’s events, it still brings a few welcome changes for many folks. Now if only they’d expand their actual cellular coverage in less populated areas, though perhaps we’ll eventually see such a move in a future uncarrier event someday? One can hope. What do you think of Tmo’s latest moves, like them? Conversely, did you expect and hope for more?
