T-Mobile Slashes HotSpot @Home Rates

The service, which lets you make unlimited calls over Wi-Fi, now costs $10 a month, compared to $20/month at launch. Good news, although if you're an existing @Home subscriber, you won't get the new rate unless you call and ask for it.

News of the price cut comes on the heels of Starbucks' announcement that it's ditching T-Mobile HotSpots in favor of AT&T's Wi-Fi service, although T-Mobile reps told Moconews that the rate change actually took effect on February 6, several days before the Starbucks/AT&T deal made headlines.

Anyway, the slashed monthly rate certainly sweetens the HotSpot @Home deal, which lets you make unlimited calls over any Wi-Fi network. As it stands now, @Home costs you $10 a month on top of your standard calling plan, and you can make calls over your home Wi-Fi network or any available access point (you'll need a UMA-equipped handset—such as the BlackBerry Curve or the Samsung T409—to make @Home Wi-Fi calls).

Of course, one of the selling points of HotSpot @Home was that it worked over T-Mobile's HotSpot access points at (seemingly ubiquitous) Starbucks locations; however, AT&T says that for the next five years, HotSpot @Home users will still be able to use their subscriptions at Starbucks without having to pay extra fees.

All well and good, but as Moconews discovered, existing @Home users will have to call and specifically request the new rates. Why T-Mobile can't just switch everyone over automatically, you ask? Good question.

Oh, and one more thing: Moconews reports that @Home also got a new name in addition to the price cut. From now on, HotSpot @Home will be known as (drumroll please)...HotSpot @Home Talk Forever Mobile. Talk about a mouthful.

Related:
T-Mobile USA Discounts Its HotSpot @Home service; Customers Must Ask For It [Moconews]