T-Mobile to finally offer UMA capabilities on Android devices?

Exclusive

We have just heard T-Mobile is going to begin testing UMA calling on Android devices starting in Q3 of this year. Finally.

58 Comments
  • Frank

    I have to say that UMA is the best invention ever..i bought my bb 8120 just because i have no signal at home .. this is tmobile’s edge and i’m glad that they are bringing it to Android .. please bring this damn thing to Xperia X10 as well!

  • Srini

    There seems to be a lot of confusion with people thinking UMA is like VOIP. UMA is the sole reason why I use T-Mobile. I had a Blackberry Curve 8900 and now use the Blackberry Bold 9700 both which have UMA.

    The primary reason for me having T-Mobile is using UMA when I travel overseas. I spent 6 weeks in India recently and was able to use my phone wherever there was wi-fi for free (since I am on the T-mobile unlimited minutes plan). This is particularly useful for business people because people can call your mobile number and you answer it and talk like you were in the USA, all your ext messages and web access are all free as long as you are using wi-fi.

    There is no other alternative to UMA where you can have the same phone number and be reached. It is not the same as VOIP since you can’t use your same phone number as you can with UMA.

    The other thing I noticed is that VOIP calling can be very iffy sometimes, whereas even with very low speed connections (128K) you get very good voice quality with UMA with T-Mobile.

    If T-Mobile comes out with an Android based device (hopefully from HTC) that supports UMA, I will definitely switch from my current Blackberry.

  • tbyron

    Same here, UMA is probably the main reason most of our enterprise uses T-Mobile. We have an ocean-going research vessel that goes all over the world. As long as the boat has one of its 3 satellite access systems connected, providing a live connect on the boat, we make and receive calls, emails, text. Low rates, yes. But, there’s nothing like getting a phone call 1,000 miles offshore.

  • Garett Reid

    i’m confused… if UMA calling is nothing but placing a normal phone call over your wifi connection rather than your 3g or other digital phone connection – then it is nothing new. I have been able to do that with my android since receiving the G1 18 months ago. In fact what made it the greatest thing was that when i was in Mexico for vacation last year – as long as my phone was linked to the free wifi in my hotel lobby, then i didn’t pay any extra for the international roaming for data or calls. ??? So what is UMA and why is it different or in fact “new” ?
    I even double checked that concept right now – yup made a call while on my homes wifi through my G1? Am i the only one that can do that?

    • Frank

      Are you using iSkoot and skype? There are thousands of post on the internet that G1 doesn’t support UMA

    • Ted C.

      UMA allows you to use Wifi to connect to the carrier (TMobile in this case) backbone. So you receive calls/messages/data over their network until the last segment where it travels over Wifi. This provides a controlled network which guarantees some QOS as well as preserving any features of your existing phone number. VOIP entirely avoids the carrier’s backbone and travels over whatever portion of the public internet the routers it encounters choose.

  • Greg Genos

    YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go T-Mobile! We have been waiting for UMA on Android forever. Please give us UMA on Android!

  • Tpavey

    In reply to the comment about the G1 doing this for years: UMA >>>> VOIP. With UMA I can receive a wifi call in the basement at work with no signal, drive home in my car, and then complete the call at home again where there is no signal. Basically you get handoffs between towers and wifi and you use your normal cell number to get voice and messages. UMA is awesome.

  • Abraxias

    if you want UMA on Android, vote for it at:
    http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=6242

  • http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=6242&colspec=IDTypeStatusOwnerSummaryStars ASolomon

    I second @Abraxias. Let Google know what you want:
    http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=6242&colspec=ID Type Status Owner Summary Stars

  • Yukiyu

    Hey, I think everybody is waiting this. Two line sentences and a question mark since three month ago isn’t enough. Common Boy Genius… Give us more!

  • http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-USA-UMA-Wifi-Calling/152085804808866 Ash

    I just created a fan page for T-Mobile UMA. Come and become a fan and hopefully UMA will be available on all Android phones soon!!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-USA-UMA-Wifi-Calling/152085804808866

  • http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-USA-UMA-Wifi-Calling/152085804808866 Ash

    I created a facebook fan page for T-Mobile UMA. Come and become and fan! Hopefully T-Mobile can bring this great invention to all Android phones!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-USA-UMA-Wifi-Calling/152085804808866

  • emirwayestity

    expunge sorry
    eliminate sorry 28

  • 10yrTmoCust

    Been with Tmo since they were voicestream (I still have the old coicestream sim, lol) My understanding at the moment is that UMA via WiFi is limited to “enterprise” customers in its target. In fact, briefly, the “WiFi calling” checkbox had dissapeared from the Tmo site, and when I got to some of the better techs, they explained at that time they were leaning towards making it an Enterprise-ONLY offer. Obviously they changed their mind on that as it came back a little while later.

    The key is, to have Tmobile convinced that there is enough business account demand for Android phones. This could mean that we’ll see WiFi UMA only on a QWERTY BB-style Android, or it could mean that the buzz is enough for companies to be asking about the latest touch-screen Androids. I’m expecting the former, but hoping it proves to be the latter in the form of the new HTC Glacier recently seen making the rounds in testing.

  • Jim

    T-Mobile’s UMA service is the ultimate way to get home service!!! I tried all the other providers, and all had spotty, unreliable cell service in my home. T-Mobile is also not so great on the T-Mobile network, but when connected by UMA everything changed for the better.
    I get blazing internet and clear, solid phone connections.

    Thanks T-Mobile. BTW I have the Bold 9700.

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