GSM/WiFi Handsets

[massimo]

The problem is I have moved to a new place with no land line and limited mobile signal. We are renting and it may only be for year or so.

The only comms in is a distant broadband signal from our land lord which I can piggy back on.(Land lord is OK but a bit of a psycho and therefore it is not
something I want to either rely on or be beholden to him for.)

So my telephone solution is a GSM/WiFi phone. It will VOIP/SIP when I am at home but it will GSM outside. If I go for a total WiFi phone and he then
pulls the signal I have no comms, however GSM is crap in our house and
as long as the WiFi is there I can use it.

There is a new wind blowing through the mobile industry with this kind
of technology but as ever I am onto sites in South Korea looking at
specs of handsets from wholesalers

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11476...ile_Phone.html
http://www.umatechnology.org/overview/index.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/13/n...ines-gsm-wifi/

any inside info? are there any decent handsets available? are the handset manufacturers who support UMA tying them to certain wiFi hardware?

Massimo

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by massimo

The problem is I have moved to a new place with no land line and limited mobile signal. We are renting and it may only be for year or so.

The only comms in is a distant broadband signal from our land lord which I can piggy back on.(Land lord is OK but a bit of a psycho and therefore it is not
something I want to either rely on or be beholden to him for.)

So my telephone solution is a GSM/WiFi phone. It will VOIP/SIP when I am at home but it will GSM outside. If I go for a total WiFi phone and he then
pulls the signal I have no comms, however GSM is crap in our house and
as long as the WiFi is there I can use it.

There is a new wind blowing through the mobile industry with this kind
of technology but as ever I am onto sites in South Korea looking at
specs of handsets from wholesalers

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11476...ile_Phone.html
http://www.umatechnology.org/overview/index.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/13/n...ines-gsm-wifi/

any inside info? are there any decent handsets available? are the handset manufacturers who support UMA tying them to certain wiFi hardware?

Massimo

I don't believe any US carriers are using this yet, They have been talking about it, but the problem comes from the carriers wondering how they can charge for the calls and some other issues with billing for used mins.

You may be better off looking into a wireless repeater for the house, if you are getting some type of a signal this would help and there are others who use them and are happy with them.