Rogers offering home WiFi calling

rolled out its Hotspot @Home service. The idea is that if you have a WiFi enabled T-Mobile phone, you can set up your home router so that your phone can make calls over your Internet connection. Kind of like a VoIP client on your computer, except it works with your mobile. You pay a flat monthly rate for the service, and all of your calls made at home (over the WiFi) are free. Yesterday, Rogers announced a similar service. This will extend to Fido customers as well, allowing them to conserve minutes by making free calls from home. This is available to postpaid customers, which is sad for prepaid. It’ll cost $15 per month for local services, and $20 per month for unlimited long distance in North America. The router, which comes free when you sign up for the service, will work with any broadband connection, even if it isn’t Rogers. We’re seeing an enormous trend in America of people ditching landlines in favor of a one phone lifestyle. Only 6.4 percent of Canadians have adopted this, but the WiFi calling service could boost that number rapidly. Selection is a little tight right now. It’s just the Nokia 6086 on Rogers, and the 6301 on Fido. But as with all services, the more popular this becomes, the more handsets will become compatible. ]]>