Just when landline seemed passé and wireless became a bucket business, major wireless carrier T-Mobile USA decided to spice things up a bit. The carrier has announced that it will test a bundled wireless and landline VoIP offering with its current wireless customers in Seattle and Dallas-Ft. Worth. The service will cost $10, and wireless customers will need to be signed up for a wireless plan costing at least $39.99 to qualify. They will also need to buy T-Mobile's Internet router for about $50.
The carrier hopes to sway customers to drop the service of traditional landline telcos in favor of VoIP, perhaps figuring that is the way to get the ones who are still a little fearful about cutting the cord altogether. In any case, the move will drive the average price of residential local and long-distance phone service down further. The traditional telecom business continues to roll rapidly underfoot, and if anything, this move by T-Mobile and the adoption of flat-rate bucket plans by the major wireless carriers are helping shape 2008 into a very unpredictable year.
For more:
- see this Associated Press report at The Washington PostÂ
Related article:
- AT&T and T-Mobile match VZW flat rate Article