tmobile DUMB PHONE

[SandAngel]

I know this is a blackberry forum but i need some help with my daughters dumbphone.

She has a WIFI dumbphone and is going overseas. tmobile told me she can hook up to wifi and make free calls ...is this true? We do have the hotspot plan for $9.99 but is there a special hotspot plan for overseas?

So to recap... she has a dumbpnone with no data and only wifi and we do have regular hotspot.

Thanks for any help. I'm just afraid I was told wrong by Tmobile and will get charged out the ying yang by surprise

[berryite]

Originally Posted by SandAngel

So to recap... she has a dumbpnone with no data and only wifi and we do have regular hotspot.

What is a "dumbphone? LOL. Is that some new brand?

As long as you have a phone that is UMA capable, your overseas calls to and from USA numbers should be free (assuming you have an unlimited Hotspot rate plan). If you do not have an unlimited Hotspot rate plan, your calls simply come out of your regular minute bucket. Why? Because UMA calls are connected through an Internet connection and T-Mobile has no idea where your call is accessing an internet connection from. They know how long your call is but have no idea whether the router you accessed is in Paris or Peoria.

Now there are a few points to consider here:

1.) UMA calls overseas are only free to and from USA numbers. You can't call the local bistro in Germany and get a free call. Your call will be charged as an overseas call because T-Mobile assumes you are starting a call in the USA and calling Germany.

2.) Most UMA phones are designed to switch between a router connection and a cell tower seemlessly. So if your daughter is calling your wife from that trendy Paris coffee shop and starts walking down the street and her UMA connection is lost and switched to a Paris cell tower, the call will then likely be rated as an international call. UMA calls must always stay on a UMA connection.

Lastly, WiFi phones may or may not have UMA capabilities. Since you have not indicated what phone you are actually using, there is no way to verify if your phone is just a WiFi capable phone or a UMA phone too. Not all T-Mobile phones are UMA capable. For example ... AT&T's 8300 Curve is WiFi capable but unlocking that phone and bringing it over to T-Mobile will not give you UMA capability. Not all WiFi phones are UMA phones.

[SandAngel]

The phone is the t339 cheapo wifi phone


Thanks

[berryite]

Originally Posted by SandAngel

The phone is the t339 cheapo wifi phone


Thanks

Specs on the SAMSUNG t339 seem to indicate that it should work. Your daughter needs to know how to access UMA routers so she might want to practice here before she travels overseas. Might try some of the smaller coffee shops around where you live. NOT Starbucks where T-Mobile has the Hotspot connectivity preprogrammed into the phone.

She needs to know how to search for an open connection and how to connect to it. It's not hard after you figure it out but it won't be automatic overseas. Again, many smaller coffee shops have free Internet and you can visit some of those and see if she can get her phone to access the router and set up a profile.

[EmployeeForG1]

Just be EXTREME and I mean EXTREMELY CAREFUL using it overseas. Otherwise you get a $39458 bill.