If your T-Mobile phone frequently drops calls in and around your house, the self-proclaimed "uncarrier" on Wednesday launched a handy little device that should make that problem a thing of the past.
Dubbed the "T-Mobile Personal CellSpot," the device is a customized Asus home router that acts like a personal Wi-Fi tower in your living room — or anywhere else you want to put it.
The Personal CellSpot will prioritize Wi-Fi calling traffic, making sure that calls come through clearly anywhere in its coverage area. It's available to any customer on a Simple Choice plan with a high-speed broadband connection and a smartphone capable of Wi-Fi calling for a $25 refundable deposit, meaning it's basically free as long as you actually pursue the refund.
"You'll have a 'full-bars' T-Mobile experience and HD voice calling over Wi-Fi for coverage beyond the reach of cellular," T-Mobile said in a statement.
The move comes after T-Mobile last week unveiled its "UnCarrier 7.0" initiative to improve Wi-Fi calling and texting for customers while also promising to include Wi-Fi voice and messaging capabilities in every new smartphone it sells. The new program makes Wi-Fi calling and texting immediately available to all of T-Mobile's new Simple Choice-plan customers.
To get a Personal CellSpot, head into your local T-Mobile store or call the company's Care line and they'll deliver it to your door.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile is also extending its coverage to the skies in partnership with GoGo. T-Mobile customers can now enjoy free in-flight texting, picture messaging, and voicemail retrieval on GoGo-equipped planes. (That includes all of Delta's fleet, for instance.) You won't be able to make calls, but you also won't have to pay the GoGo fee.