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GSM Standard for WiFi and Bluetooth Compatibility

Posted by michael on from the roam-wasn't-built-in-a-day dept.

sjbe writes "Fourteen of the major wireless service providers have released a set of Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) specifications permitting operation with licenced GSM and unlicensed (WiFi/Bluetooth) spectrum. So if we're lucky we might soon be able to use a GSM cell phone through a wireless base station and experience a seemless handoff to a cellular network once out of range."

5 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. Return of the ISPs? by davejenkins · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1. Would this mean that ISPs who blanket metro areas could theoretically steal all the voice traffic currently going over cell networks?
    2. Would the ISPs have the bandwidth to carry all that?
    3. Would they want it?

    The reason I am thinking is that ATT/TimeWarner/Comcast/AOL would really like some vengeance against the cell providers, no?

    --

    davejenkins.com |

  2. Fantastic by Icarus1919 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It used to be the internet was reliant upon the telephone systems across the US, but now it seems more and more than cell phones and telephones have come to rely on the internet to bolster their short-comings. Does anyone know, however, if we would be double charged by both the cell phone company and the wireless internet company we were using to connect to the cell company by using this service? I'd hate to see the minutes being charged both ways by the two services.

  3. something fishy by Doh! · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hmmm... There's something strange about seeing "unlicensed" and "access" used in the same phrase without the word "illegal" somewhere nearby...

  4. Not in the manufacturers interest by CdBee · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Recently there was a kerfuffle about a cellphone which was Bluetooth compliant but which could not be used to transfer images off and on the phone, as the cellphone service provider had the ability removed.

    The reason? Allowing direct file access cannibalises the market for emailing/SMSing them to people from the phone.
    Now you expect us to believe that mobile telephone providers will make phones that can connect to peoples wifi hotspots to save the caller money?. Somehow I doubt it.

    --
    I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
  5. Low power phones? by pradeepsekar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It would be nice to have phones using low power when a WiFi (or equiv) signal is available indoors, and switch to high power signal to the tower, thus extending battery life even further. It would also be interesting to see if this can make a difference to the long term effect of all the high power electromagnetic radiation that we are covering ourselves with!