Bob

..."For years, Wi-Fi telephones and walkie-talkie-like communicators have been available for hospitals and offices. Now, manufacturers and mobile carriers are preparing to link standard cellular networks to the mishmash of Wi-Fi hotspots, a move that will expand coverage and perhaps make cheaper mobile minutes a reality.

The technology, called Unlicensed Mobile Access, or UMA, will help those who have high-speed Wi-Fi routers overcome any poor coverage in their houses or apartments. It's also a way for mobile carriers to expand their footprint without spending lots of money on new infrastructure...."

http://apnews1.iwon.com//article/200...D8GSN4V00.html

I know it's been in use for a couple years in Japan, limited success I guess, I don't know, but considering how shite mobile phone usage and coverage is over here, this has to be a good thing, but saying that, wifi coverage is pretty dire around here too, so probably no difference

So, would any of you consider giving it a go?

Dan725

To some degree it seems similar to what your companies like Skype are trying to accompolish, with the Skype for your PDA programs and the like. With these, the bottleneck is always on the quality of your wireless network (same can be said for regualr VOIP I guess). For localised use (in your home etc), it doesnt sound much different to what you can do with a cordless phone hooked up to your VOIP box today.

Being a bit of a gadget loving type, of course I would give it a go, and I'm sure that as wifi becomes more widely available we'll see more of this type of thing, but as shite as cell phone coverage is over here in certain places, I think it'll be ages before wifi takes over. But I'm in no doubt that will be the way of the future - in my experience with Lingo, VOIP for normal phones is constantly improving - not a year ago when I first signed up for it, Lingo was a bit laggy and echoy, with lots of dropped calls - as time has gone by, the quality has improved immensely, and apart from the odd glitch, I pretty much forget I'm using a VOIP service these days. I'm sure mobile phones will go the same way eventually.

Bob

I hope things improve, what with it taking so long to get GSM phones on the go, and the really poor nationwide coverage, it'll a bit of a laugh whatever they try and roll out, unless you live on either coast, but even then, it's still a bit poor...but the wifi, can see that picking up on the holiday hot spots with the hotels knocking it out..