T-Mobile HotSpot@Home with UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access)
T-Mobile launches the new great service called HotSpot@home, which allows user to jump on the WiFi at home or any T-Mobile hotspot (e.g.Starbucks) with unlimited minutes. Of course when you are outside then the regular Cellphone minutes applied. From the ads, it seems there is no need for a special WiFi phone! 
This will work for people like me, who have poor cell signal at home!. I hope other carriers will follow soon!
Visit T-Mobile new Web site dedicated to this new service!
Read more about UMA technology after the jump!
More from MobileCrunch: Following a highly succesful test of UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) developed by Kineto Wireless and now part of the 3GPP Specification, UMA is a technology that, when coupled with handsets that support both WiFi and GSM, allows for the seamless switching of a call in progress from one network to the other and back again.
For consumers this means no more dropped calls when you enter residences or buildings as well as reduced tariffs (even all-you-can-eat plans) rather than per minute charges.
For T-Mobile this means a vast reduction (once the solution has been fully deployed) in the number of calls carried over the capacity limited cellular network and an increase in overall traffic carrying capability that has the potential to be quite significant.
T-Mobile customers that participated in the initial tests claim to have been very pleased with the results claiming substantially improved call stability, fewer dropped calls and improved sound quality especially of calls taking place within the home or within other structures.
The company has apparently been working with several major handset vendors to develop a number of dual mode handsets in anticipation of the roll-out of their UMA services. Expect these handsets to be available soon for a slight premium compared to standard, non-dual mode units.
In addition to their UMA announcements, T-Mobile also announced that they’re spending $4.2 Billion for 120 new wireless spectrum licenses in the 1,700 and 2,100 Mhz bands which gives them coast to coast coverage of the US.
According the T-Mobile Parent Company Deutsche Telekom’s CFO Karl-Gerhard Eick, all of this is part of the plan to increase T-Mobile’s customer base from current levels of around 24 million to between 35 and 40 million customers. T-Mobile’s efforts will be particularly apparent in major markets like New York and Los Angeles where they’ve now got essentially unlimited growth potential.
In addition, T-Mobile CEO Robert Dotson made some noise about Apple that has the rumor mills buzzing that perhaps it is T-Mobile and not Cingular that is working with the iconic computer and music player firm to develop that much heralded but yet to be seen iPhone.
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