I’ve been contemplating getting rid of our home phone service recently especially since I’ve been having issues with Verizon customer support (please don’t get me started on this one!). One alternative would be to switch to a VoIP phone service. Another alternative would be to replace the home phone with a mobile phone. Now T-Mobile has made things even easier with their new T-Mobile HotSpot @Home Service. The concept is simple.

You need three things to make the HotSpot @Home service work:

1. Get a T-Mobile HotSpot @Home compatible mobile phone

2. Choose a service plan that fits your needs

3. Get a wireless router. You can get one from T-Mobile which is basically a voice optimized Linksys Wireless Router.

Here’s how it works. When you’re out and about, your T-Mobile HotSpot @Home phone works like any other mobile phone connecting to the T-Mobile network. When you get home or when you’re near Wi-Fi hotspots, your phone will automatically use the Wi-Fi connection to deliver unlimited nationwide calling without using up your plan minutes. The service switches automatically from Wi-Fi to the GSM network depending on the proximity to an accessible Wi-Fi network.

According to a review of the service from LaptopMag, the service prices range from $9.99 a month for a single phone to $19.99 per month for up to five phones. Here’s what they thought of the service:

Despite some occasional flakiness, it’s a no-brainer for T-Mobile customers who care more about voice than multimedia bells and whistles. And as the carrier rolls out more sophisticated phones and routers that support HotSpot @Home, we think it will be able to lure customers away from other wireless providers.

Now if I can port my home phone number to a mobile phone number, then all would be perfect. I would ditch Verizon in an instant!

[Check out the review]

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, Wi-Fi, VoIP