Two new cellphone services, from Rogers/Fido and Bell Mobility, might not give you much of a break on your monthly data charges, but will certainly make calling a little more flexible.
Phones equipped with Rogers/Fido's new service, called Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), will switch to any handy Wi-Fi network, which can handle data and voice. In other words, the phone can switch from hotspot to hotspot as you meander, and when out of range of any hotspot, the phone will switch automatically — and without interruption — back to Rogers and Fido's GSM network.
Rogers and Fido offer the service to work with just about any wireless router, or with a router specifically dedicated for UMA use. It also works with WiMax, the wireless broadband system designed to extend low-power Wi-Fi networks across greater distances, and is a better voice and high-speed data alternative to Wi-Fi. Of course, setting up a WiMax box in your home or office involves a whole other set of expenses.
UMA is a confusing acronym because it refers to the Wi-Fi 2.4 gigahertz radio frequency, which is an unlicensed band, and is meaningless to end users. The GSM network, however, is licensed (you pay for access). Still, UMA requires your handset to be authenticated by the UMA service.
UMA is the generic name for the technology; Rogers calls its version the Wireless Home Calling Zone. Fido is offering the same service, but calls it UNO.
This is transitional technology, meant to help subscribers migrate from land-line phones to cellphones. Since many people now have Wi-Fi networks at home (you also need a broadband connection), they can use a UMA-enabled cellphone at home without having to worry about the rates they pay for their voice plan over the GSM network. The attractiveness lies in being able to use one phone for the home and for portability, with one phone number.
The cost? UMA is an add-on service, so it needs a separate plan that can be added to your existing cellphone plan. Rogers' UMA service is available for the Nokia 6086 handset, priced at $24.99 on a three-year contract or $169.99 with no contract. It offers unlimited local phone calls for $15 a month or unlimited calls to anywhere in Canada for $20 a month on top of your regular call plan.
Fido's UNO service is available with the Nokia 6301 handset, which sells for $50 with a three-year contract or $300 with no contract and offers local calling for $15 a month and $20 for calls across the country. Fido adds two “couples” plans, for two users, with $25 for local calls and $35 for Canada-wide calls. As well, all these are on top of your voice-call plan.
Rogers and Fido will be adding more UMA-enabled phones in the future.
How Rogers figures UMA to be a cost-cutting feature is difficult to fathom; If you have a phone with Wi-Fi and no UMA, you can still make calls using Skype, which is dirt cheap. I suspect that if you're not guessing your needs correctly, you might end up paying more for the service than you bargained for. How much you'll pay depends heavily on how often you're near a hotspot and how many calls you make. And how this works when you're travelling in the handful of countries where the service has been activated — including France, Italy and the United States — is a deeper mystery. First there are roaming chargers and then there is the matter of how many Wi-Fi spots you can find in a strange land without the phone alerting you.
The seamlessness of the transition between Wi-Fi and GSM is definitely a nice feature, but it has a darker side: You can't tell when you're on one network or the other, unless you're fixed at a certain location (such as home or the office) in Wi-Fi range. So there is no real way to measure your savings. And it still goes against human nature to believe you're saving more when you're actually paying more — all you see is the bill you get at the end of the month.
