I have often felt that the first mobile operator to move into the VoIP world would see a lot of traction, and provide the first real threat to the cable operators.
While AT&T could be that market leader because they already have all the parts to make a true FMC play happen, and while Sprint or Verizon both have the capabilities, in all cases, internal corporate politics won't let it happen.
The Bell heads don't like the mobile guys. The mobile voice folks don't like the data folks. The mobile data folks don't talk to the IP network jocks about business, just technology. It's a vicious cycle and it is what is holding back IP enabled mobile companies from winning.
Now along comes T-Mobile. Here in the USA they have good, not great mobile network because they lack spectrum agreements. But they have Hotspots and have figured out how to sell IP services and deliver a very good product. Next they are rolling out HotSpot at Home, a service I'll be trying later this week now that I'll be home to play. But the sharp folks at TG Daily found something that had been filed with the FCC. It's a new home device that will embed up to two SIM cards and give you home and mobile number service via the router over VoIP. When you leave the house, your mobile phone is still your number.
I see a great fit here with client TalkPlus and other next gen voice applications like Truphone, Skype, GizmoProject, iotum, GrandCentral, Mobivox, Spinvox, Simulscribe a bigger addressable market and look at this as a real step forward in 2.0 Voice services as it could really bring mass marketing to VoIP the right way and thus create a ready market for their services.
1) T-Mobile owns the customer already
2) T-Mobile can market to the customers they already have
3) T-Mobile already understands consumer marketing
4) T-Mobile already has handset manufacturer relationships
5) T-Mobile already has a proven network
6) T-Mobile already has an IP backbone network that is feeding hotspots
7) T-Mobile's hotspots are proven and reliable places to make IP phone calls from
8) T-Mobile can open up their network to third party apps that work at home and on the go
With all the wasted hype and attention on OOMA, this solution appears to be better thought out, and provides people like me who have services and devices like a PhoneGnome a reason to keep seeing the reality of what VoIP will really be delivering some time soon.
In the end I'd say someone at T-Mobile has a VoIP gameplan and its being rolled out nicely compared to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T where they have been playing games, but only playing with themselves.
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