[EWPBB]

Been watching and learning for a while and am about to pull the trigger on the 9700. Called Tmobile since the UMA option was making me consider switching from ATT to Tmobile.

The CSR from Tmobile, after putting me on hold to verify with someone else, said that when the phone uses the wifi technology Tmobile no longer considers this free minutes and the wifi minutes count towards the rate plan. She said that when they recently lowered the cost to their new rate plans they did away with the UMA free minutes. She said the phone can still use the wifi technology, but it is no longer considered free minutes.

Can anyone verify this?

[kromix]

Been watching and learning for a while and am about to pull the trigger on the 9700. Called Tmobile since the UMA option was making me consider switching from ATT to Tmobile.

The CSR from Tmobile, after putting me on hold to verify with someone else, said that when the phone uses the wifi technology Tmobile no longer considers this free minutes and the wifi minutes count towards the rate plan. She said that when they recently lowered the cost to their new rate plans they did away with the UMA free minutes. She said the phone can still use the wifi technology, but it is no longer considered free minutes.

Can anyone verify this?

Only free if u pay $10/mo for @Home service. if not, it counts towards your minutes..

[Artemis68]

UMA minutes were never really "free". You always had to add unlimited hotspot calling for 9.99 to your plan for them to be free. Nothing has changed here.

[EWPBB]

I just called back to get a second opinion and a different CSR said the exact opposite....saying that he checked with his supervisor and that the wifi minutes are not deducted from the monthly allotment of minutes.

So it sounds like the previous CSR was misinformed....I hope.

[kromix]

I can 100% confirm that I do not have @HOME feature, and use UMA. The minutes I use do infact get deducted. If I had the @Home feature it would not. Nothing new, been this way for a while....


The 2nd CSR was misinformed, not the first.

[pcmike]

So are UMA minutes "free" if you're on a $80 unlimited everything plan? Or is it still $80+$10 for FREE UMA minutes?

Thank you.

[BEERviper]

Well I was about to say that the CSR rep didn't have a clue since my friend just picked up a 8220 about a month ago and I was there at the T-mo store when she added the unlimited hotspot calling for $9.99 just like I have on my business plan (2000+ phones all in a wifi office environment).

Then I tried to find this feature on the t-mo website and couldn't find it. I did a little searching and found this article which apparently says this feature is no longer an option:

Tmobile - giving up on Hotspot @ Home (UMA) ???

[EWPBB]

So are UMA minutes "free" if you're on a $80 unlimited everything plan? Or is it still $80+$10 for FREE UMA minutes?

Thank you.

Seems like it wouldn't matter. If you're on the unlimited minutes plan, then you don't need free UMA minutes. Deducting minutes from unlimited minutes still gives you unlimited minutes.

[pcmike]

That what I would think too, but someone was saying UMA may have a different "bucket" of minutes?

[se1000]

Seems like it wouldn't matter. If you're on the unlimited minutes plan, then you don't need free UMA minutes. Deducting minutes from unlimited minutes still gives you unlimited minutes.

exactly. 10 character.

[EWPBB]

Well I was about to say that the CSR rep didn't have a clue since my friend just picked up a 8220 about a month ago and I was there at the T-mo store when she added the unlimited hotspot calling for $9.99 just like I have on my business plan (2000+ phones all in a wifi office environment).

Then I tried to find this feature on the t-mo website and couldn't find it. I did a little searching and found this article which apparently says this feature is no longer an option:

Tmobile - giving up on Hotspot @ Home (UMA) ???

The second CSR was adament about the fact that he "checked with his supervsor" and that "he had good news for me" that minutes spent on a wifi connection are not counted towards your monthly minutes.

[frenchy99]

The second CSR was adament about the fact that he "checked with his supervsor" and that "he had good news for me" that minutes spent on a wifi connection are not counted towards your monthly minutes.

Hotspot calling can be still be added to the new plans and old plans.

Unsupported Browser

[BEERviper]

Hotspot calling can be still be added to the new plans and old plans.

Unsupported Browser

Well there you go, I couldn't find this as an option while building out a new plan but it's definitely still on the site as a Service add-on.

[kromix]

The second CSR was adament about the fact that he "checked with his supervsor" and that "he had good news for me" that minutes spent on a wifi connection are not counted towards your monthly minutes.

Sorry but that guy is an *****. I'll give you $100 paypal if you show me on a bill otherwise. It is simple, it takes the minutes out of your minutes bucket, unless you have the $10 @Home feature, then its "unlimited" and does not touch your bucket.


If you have an unlimited minutes plan, you don't need to add the feature because it takes it out of your unlimited minutes bucket, leaving you with you guessed it, unlimited minutes left.

[clitrenta]

I just called back to get a second opinion and a different CSR said the exact opposite....saying that he checked with his supervisor and that the wifi minutes are not deducted from the monthly allotment of minutes.

So it sounds like the previous CSR was misinformed....I hope.

Nope. I've been with them for a while and it has always been my understanding that it came off your minutes unless you paid for the Hotspot@Home feature which by the way, I hear is no longer offered. Still, UMA does give you the ability to even GET calls when you are in a low/no signal area. Think about it.. UMA gives you the ability to make calls using WiFi. If they didn't charge you for that then WHY would they even have a Hotspot@Home plan??? People could just buy a phone with UMA ability and never get a cellular rate plan or at the very least, get a very cheap one.

[BEERviper]

Nope. I've been with them for a while and it has always been my understanding that it came off your minutes unless you paid for the Hotspot@Home feature which by the way, I hear is no longer offered. Still, UMA does give you the ability to even GET calls when you are in a low/no signal area. Think about it.. UMA gives you the ability to make calls using WiFi. If they didn't charge you for that then WHY would they even have a Hotspot@Home plan??? People could just buy a phone with UMA ability and never get a cellular rate plan or at the very least, get a very cheap one.

As Frenchy99 pointed out ... this is still available:

Unlimited HotSpot Calling

If you do not add this service to your calling plan, all UMA calls will come out of your current minute bucket.

[tripp]

Hmm, when changing my services, the Hotspot@Home option isn't actually available anymore. It looks like they either got rid of it entirely, or the OP is right, and its included with all plans, which doesn't seem likely.

[se1000]

Hmm, when changing my services, the Hotspot@Home option isn't actually available anymore. It looks like they either got rid of it entirely, or the OP is right, and its included with all plans, which doesn't seem likely.

It's definitely not included with all plans.

[tinpusher]

Hmm, when changing my services, the Hotspot@Home option isn't actually available anymore. It looks like they either got rid of it entirely, or the OP is right, and its included with all plans, which doesn't seem likely.

definitely still available...

[vinny jr]

I have the hot spot add on for 10 bucks extra a month. Best plan add on I ever invested in. Been home sick from hospital for about almost a month and every call has been wifi. I did not use any minutes this month due to the hot spot add on in my plan. Great plan. 15 yr verizon veteran coming to T-Mobile. I think T-Mobile is a breath of fresh air coming from Verizon.

[clitrenta]

I have T-Mo's home phone service for $10/mo which is also unlimited along with my cell plan so I'm set regardless. UMA benefits me most just by giving me the ability to make calls over WiFi when I have a bag signal. Excellent feature.

[bdearen]

So are UMA minutes "free" if you're on a $80 unlimited everything plan? Or is it still $80+$10 for FREE UMA minutes?

Thank you.

are you dumb? why would it matter you have UNLIMITED

[Aburt]

So, I'm new to the UMA thing, having just upgraded to a 9700. Am I getting this right:

I live in the US. Suppose I'm out of the country, traveling in Europe. I find a free WiFi and make a UMA call back to the US. Do I understand this right that I'm not charged international roaming rates? It just uses a few minutes from my regular plan at the regular rate, as if I made the call over 3G from my house?

If so, that's way cool.

But is it so?

[BEERviper]

Yes you got it ... wifi is wifi regardless of where you are in the world. The international roaming is for either cellular radio or data. They are not tracking the origination of the IP address to know that your wifi access is international.

With UMA calling, you can be anywhere in the world where there is a [open] wifi connection and make calls just like you are in your own living room!

[kromix]

So, I'm new to the UMA thing, having just upgraded to a 9700. Am I getting this right:

I live in the US. Suppose I'm out of the country, traveling in Europe. I find a free WiFi and make a UMA call back to the US. Do I understand this right that I'm not charged international roaming rates? It just uses a few minutes from my regular plan at the regular rate, as if I made the call over 3G from my house?

If so, that's way cool.

But is it so?

That is correct, and one of the best features of UMA.

I went to Japan, London, and Grenada, all places have WiFi, my phone worked on it and I placed all the calls I wanted as if I was in my local area (miami). All it did was take out minutes from my plan.