[laur419]

Just throwing this out there:

Do you think it's possible to have UMA/Wi-Fi Calling by using an AT&T sim card on an unlocked T-Mobile Curve (which is Wi-Fi enabled)?

I know it's really silly, but you'll have to trust me that I have a good reason for asking it.

Thanks!!

lauren

[rambo47]

Nope. AT&T doesn't support it. There's talk that AT&T may implement it but for now it's not going to work.

[laur419]

But...what if the phone is roaming on an overseas network that does?

So:
-Unlocked T-Mobile Curve
-AT&T sim card
- No AT&T coverage abroad directly through AT&T. Would roam on other networks that possibly support UMA.

Could it be possible then, do you think?

[rambo47]

There is a slim chance it will work overseas, provided the carrier supports UMA calling. Usually they have something in place to make sure you're subscribing to some kind of UMA calling feature though. I've never heard of anyone giving it away for free. Even with T-Mobile you have to pay to have the feature active, right? So unless you subscribe to the carrier onto whose network you're roaming you'll probably get blocked.

[monkeypaw]

There's no roaming on UMA, it is connecting back to the home provider over wifi. It doesn't connect to the nearest UMA equipment like it would the nearest cell tower. If it's on the cell network, it's not on UMA.

Anyway, without AT&T having the equipment, the phone can't connect to AT&T over the internet.

[Trimix]

You don't have to pay for the feature in order for it to be active. Paying for the Tmobile UMA calling plan allows you to save your normal minutes. I don't have the Tmobile Hotspot @ home plan and I can still use UMA, but I just use my minutes. Its useful for areas where you can't get a good cell signal, but have ready wifi access.

[laur419]

Well, I have used UMA overseas.

I have been on T-Mobile USA.

So, while in the UK, I connected to a friend's wireless internet. I've done this before.

I was roaming at the time of course, going between T-Mobile UK, Vodafone, and Orange. In any event, I always had an UMA connection when I was in the house with the wireless internet.

I made calls over it no problem, and only got charged minutes, no roaming fees.

So that's why I wondered. I mean, it's certainly not a special sim card that has UMA capabilities, because I've had T-Mobile a couple of years and had the same sim card...it's the phone.

But see, if I unlock my T-Mobile berry (which they SHOULD let me do) and put an AT&T card in, I would be roaming over there anyway... but since I've roamed with T-Mobile before and still had full success with UMA calls, I wonder if it would be the same.

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by laur419

Well, I have used UMA overseas.

I have been on T-Mobile USA.

So, while in the UK, I connected to a friend's wireless internet. I've done this before.

I was roaming at the time of course, going between T-Mobile UK, Vodafone, and Orange. In any event, I always had an UMA connection when I was in the house with the wireless internet.

I made calls over it no problem, and only got charged minutes, no roaming fees.

So that's why I wondered. I mean, it's certainly not a special sim card that has UMA capabilities, because I've had T-Mobile a couple of years and had the same sim card...it's the phone.

But see, if I unlock my T-Mobile berry (which they SHOULD let me do) and put an AT&T card in, I would be roaming over there anyway... but since I've roamed with T-Mobile before and still had full success with UMA calls, I wonder if it would be the same.

You can use UMA overseas on Tmobile because Tmobile has the UMA equipment. Does not matter if the local provider has UMA capability or even if there is a local cell network. As long as there's a wifi the phone can connect to, with a good enough speed, it can contact the Tmobile equipment back in the US.

AT&T doesn't have the UMA equipment. If there were a way for the phone to connect to local UMA equipment, the call would then be connected to the normal telecomm connection back to the US and it'd cost the roaming charge.

[laur419]

Good point.

I just wanted some opinions. I was considering a switch to AT&T because I really like the Bold, but I like the T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling option-- I may be moving abroad soon and intend to keep my American cell phone. I figured I could use my monthly minutes to call home through a wireless router, as I've often done while overseas.

Anyway, I've looked a bit at the Javelin/Curve II that T-Mobile is offering, and I think I'll go for that. It makes the most sense, if I want the UMA feature.

[rambo47]

The new Javelin is technically in the Curve family, but it's so different it should rate an entirely new family name. One cool thing about the Javelin/8900 is how it handles data. The Bold uses either 2 or 4 "pipelines" for data. The 8900 uses eight. This is how, in many speed tests, the Javelin on EDGE outperforms the Bold on 3G.

About the only things it shares with the older 83xx Curves is the basic size and the separate/spaced keys.

[Trimix]

Originally Posted by rambo47

The new Javelin is technically in the Curve family, but it's so different it should rate an entirely new family name. One cool thing about the Javelin/8900 is how it handles data. The Bold uses either 2 or 4 "pipelines" for data. The 8900 uses eight. This is how, in many speed tests, the Javelin on EDGE outperforms the Bold on 3G.

About the only things it shares with the older 83xx Curves is the basic size and the separate/spaced keys.

Very interesting. THanks for sharing that.

[laur419]

I actually popped over to a cell phone shop today and took a look at both of them. I actually really like the 8900, looking at it in the "flesh." It's quite slim and small. The Bold seems like a brick in comparison. So does the old Curve, for that matter.