Video Contest for UMA, Wi-Fi Calling Fans

If you read this blog, chances are you're a fan of Smart Wi-Fi, powered by UMA. We're trying to harness the power of the excitement of people like you with a new video contest for anyone who loves, needs or craves being able to make calls over Wi-Fi on their smartphones.

Submit your story in a short video to WiFiCalling.net, and you could win one of three new Android smartphones. 



The contest is open to participants worldwide, especially those who use T-Mobile USA’s Wi-Fi Calling, Orange’s Unik or Unique, Rogers’ Talkspot, Cincinnati Bell’s Home Run as well as people who don’t have such a service but wish they did.

We're accepting video submissions at WiFiCalling.net through November 30. On December 15, we'll announce three winners, and each will get a new Android smartphone (exact phone to be determined at time of announcement).

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Cinci Bell: Telecom Innovator

There's a good article in Forbes about John Cassidy, CEO of regional fixed/mobile/broadband provider Cincinnati Bell. The article calls Mr. Cassidy "the most honest man in telecom."

It also refers to Cincinnati Bell's dual-mode handset (DMH) service called "Home Run".

In talking about the service, the author makes an interesting comment:

"Wi-Fi will nick Cassidy's traditional businesses, but the technology is too logical to ignore."

I agree that "Wi-Fi is too logical to ignore", and wish more operators considered it the same way. However, Wi-Fi doesn't actually "...nick [Cincinnati Bell's] traditional business..."

An investor pitch from Orange dated December, 2007 (slide 20) highlights how Orange has seentheir dual-mode service actually increase the lifetime value of subscribers who take the service. Rather than 'nicking' the business, Wi-Fi is actually increasing the value of a subscriber to the operator.

Unlimited nights and weekends... and home?!??!!

In the US, nearly every post-paid mobile calling plan comes with “unlimited nights and weekends”. This unlimited domestic plan offers calls any fixed or mobile number in the US outside of “normal business hours” and has become a staple of the US mobile market.

Currently T-Mobile is preparing the launch of their much-anticipated HotSpot@Home service. For a flat rate of $20/month, subscribers get unlimited calls to any fixed or mobile number in the US when the phone is connected over Wi-Fi/IP.

HotSpot@Home, as the name implies, is geared towards fixed-to-mobile substitution in the home, providing consumers no reason to use their fixed lines to make calls again.

Note that Vonage offers a similar service in the US, but for $25/month and with no seamless mobility to the GSM network.

The value of in-home calling in the US market had been set at roughly $25/month.

Then just weeks before T-Mobile’s launch, regional operator Cincinnati Bell launches “Home Run”, a calling plan similar to T-Mobile, but for just $10/month.

Wow. A 50% reduction and the services are both still in limited commercial trial state, that is aggressive pricing.

It makes me wonder, how soon do calls in the home, over Wi-Fi/IP, become 'free' with a $40 or $50/month service plan?

Is the new mantra in the US telecom market: “unlimited nights, weekends and home”

If this is the future, there are some interesting implications in the telecom market. Certainly any company looking to fixed line service revenues will be under incredible pressure, think Vonage as well as cable companies.

Cincinnati Bell gets it right!

Wow, two operator stories in one day. Cincinnati Bell, regional fixed/mobile operator here in the US, has soft-launched their UMA service called “Home Run”.

First off: Kudos for the messaging and positioning. They got it right:


The focus on (1) unlimited flat rate calling and (2) improved coverage are dead on for UMA-based services. This is about making your mobile service work better and cost less.

Second, it appears that T-Mobile’s $20/month pricing for HotSpot@Home might be a bit aggressive as Home Run is “as low as $10/month”. Clearly the value of unlimited calls from the home/office is dropping.

Finally, for those who continue to think dual mode handsets are more expensive, the Nokia 6086 offered in the plan is $50 with service contract. That’s quite reasonable for an excellent, full featured UMA device.