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Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / Sprint PCS / April 2006Leveraging Phone to Phone calling with Cell Phone to PSTN Gateway?
Anyone making a gadget that allows a cell phone to be connected to a PBX so that calls to same carrier cell numbers are carried for free by the cell phone instead of over the PSTN to the cell phone and thus costing $!!? I could imagine, depending on the size of the PBX office users, a bank of Sprint and Verizon cell phones connected to the PBX! > Anyone making a gadget that allows a cell phone to be connected to a PBX so > that calls to same carrier cell numbers are carried for free by the cell > phone instead of over the PSTN to the cell phone and thus costing $!!? I'm not aware of one, but the fact that you ask is somewhat ironic in that when PCS first conceived, one of the ideas behind it was that it'd work "the other way around": When you were at home, your PCS phone would hook into a "micro site" that would connect you up to your regular PSTN line so that you wouldn't be using up air time! > I could imagine, depending on the size of the PBX office users, a bank of > Sprint and Verizon cell phones connected to the PBX! I suspect that when you looked at the full price -- cell phones with unlimited calling plans, plus the cost of the phone itself (even a cheap phone is $150 new, albeit at least once every two years or so you'd probably be able to get them "free" with a contract) could readily exceed the cost of a PSTN line plus long distance. (Note also, however, that voice quality will not be as good with the wireless phone solution as with the PSTN.) Still, it's a neat idea; I can imagine that for certain niche scenarios it could make a lot of sense. There is a box out there that takes a wireless *data* card and converts it back to WiFi for, e.g., a small office to use. It's more expensive and considerably slower than DSL or a cable modem, but still quite good compared to dial-up. > I'm not aware of one, but the fact that you ask is somewhat ironic in that > when PCS first conceived, one of the ideas behind it was that it'd work "the > other way around": When you were at home, your PCS phone would hook into a > "micro site" that would connect you up to your regular PSTN line so that you > wouldn't be using up air time! Southwestern Bell telephone and SWBell Mobile had such a phone back in the early '90s. It was a cordless phone within range of your base station and reverted to a cellphone when you got too far away. When I tried to look it up again a few years ago, SWBell said the idea never caught on. > Southwestern Bell telephone and SWBell Mobile had such a phone back in > the early '90s. It was a cordless phone within range of your base > station and reverted to a cellphone when you got too far away. GTE Wireless had it too. Too bad it didn't catch on with them either :( I had one; it was pretty cool.  SignatureSteve Sobol, Professional Geek ** Java/VB/VC/PHP/Perl ** Linux/*BSD/Windows Apple Valley, CA Resident of Southern California - the home of beautiful people and butt-ugly traffic jams >> I'm not aware of one, but the fact that you ask is somewhat ironic in >> that when PCS first conceived, one of the ideas behind it was that >> it'd work "the other way around": When you were at home, your PCS >> phone would hook into a "micro site" that would connect you up to your >> regular PSTN line so that you wouldn't be using up air time! One other thing: for business, Sprint offers unlimited calling to one business landline number as well: http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/mobileOffice_voiceFeatures_tabA.html Called Sprint Mobile to Office. SignatureE-mail fudged to thwart spammers. Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply. > Anyone making a gadget that allows a cell phone to be connected to a PBX so > that calls to same carrier cell numbers are carried for free by the cell > phone instead of over the PSTN to the cell phone and thus costing $!!? > > I could imagine, depending on the size of the PBX office users, a bank of > Sprint and Verizon cell phones connected to the PBX! You'd have to have a LOT of usage to make that cost effective. At a bare minimum of $20 a phone (assuming you you use shared phone plans), you'd have to assume over 400 minutes of *overage* on a fair and flexible plan before it even starts to make any sense. If you never or rarely go over your minutes, it makes no sense at all. On the other hand, Sprint does have Sprint to Home for $5: http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/ueContent.jsp?scTopic=sprintToHome86 Not sure if you'd be able to finagle this to have your "home" number be any number you wanted, but if you can, then you would get what you wanted (unlimited calls to a landline number) for a lot less than rigging up a Sprint phone to a PBX. SignatureE-mail fudged to thwart spammers. Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply. >> Anyone making a gadget that allows a cell phone to be connected to a >> PBX so that calls to same carrier cell numbers are carried for free [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > wanted (unlimited calls to a landline number) for a lot less than > rigging up a Sprint phone to a PBX. There is a better way. I am doing it now. VoiceStick.com has unlimited VOIP for $20 and global at $25 They are the ONLY voip with a cellular bridge. You input your cell number in the bridge so that when you call, instead of this voip home phone ringing you get a new dial tone on the unlimited VOIP. I also use the call forward so that all incoming call are being forwarded from my new "home" number Just sign up for voicestick and Sprint to Home. BTW no broadband needed. It is all done at the switch level at voicestick.com You get unlimited IN and Out calls. I am on the most basic Sprint plan of $29 a month. LIFE IS GOOD >> On the other hand, Sprint does have Sprint to Home for $5: >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > VoiceStick.com has unlimited VOIP for $20 and global at $25 Actually, I don't see how that is a better way. Sprint's add-a-phone on family plans is currently only $10 per extra line up to three. You're now proposing to pay more than double that. SignatureE-mail fudged to thwart spammers. Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply. Isaiah Beard <sacredpoet@sacredpoet.com> wrote in news:12543q5ei7vj6d9 @corp.supernews.com: >>> On the other hand, Sprint does have Sprint to Home for $5: >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > on family plans is currently only $10 per extra line up to three. > You're now proposing to pay more than double that. Hmmm think you missed the point. You can avoid being on a more costly high minute plan as you can now place calls over your unlimited voip with the Sprint phone. JUst call home and you will get a new "outside" line > Isaiah Beard <sacredpoet@sacredpoet.com> wrote in news:12543q5ei7vj6d9 > @corp.supernews.com: [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > high minute plan as you can now place calls over your unlimited voip with > the Sprint phone. JUst call home and you will get a new "outside" line Now that you have publicized this scheme, it is only a matter of time before the carriers find some way to neutralize them. The "call home" option was clearly not intended to be used as a gateway to dial out to another number, thus making what would otherwise be a billable call, under the guise of phoning home. >> Isaiah Beard <sacredpoet@sacredpoet.com> wrote in >> news:12543q5ei7vj6d9 @corp.supernews.com: [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > another number, thus making what would otherwise be a billable call, > under the guise of phoning home. Looking at the Teir 2 carries, with Sprint responding I think where it will all head is to some $69 unlimited thing, or some crazy number of minutes like 3,000 I am probably older then most of you and remeber when AT&T had great LAND LINE deals at 49cents a minute (back when $10,000 a year was BIG money) They are not wanting to drop the monthly revenue, but they are constantly sweetning the pot. I doubt that they all will change programs when they are all trying to pick up new customers from a VERY limited market. Until then it should be fun to watch. >>> VoiceStick.com has unlimited VOIP for $20 and global at $25 >> Actually, I don't see how that is a better way. Sprint's add-a-phone >> on family plans is currently only $10 per extra line up to three. >> You're now proposing to pay more than double that. > > Hmmm think you missed the point. Either you're a shill, or you're missing MY point. > You can avoid being on a more costly > high minute plan as you can now place calls over your unlimited voip with > the Sprint phone. And for the same money you supposedly saved on Sprint, you're now paying a third party. Where's the savings? SignatureE-mail fudged to thwart spammers. Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply. >>>> VoiceStick.com has unlimited VOIP for $20 and global at $25 >>> Actually, I don't see how that is a better way. Sprint's add-a-phone [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > And for the same money you supposedly saved on Sprint, you're now > paying a third party. Where's the savings? One of is missing the point... Not sure what the $10 extra line would buy me. I only have one phone, but even if I didn't I am not sure what your thinking. I am getting my peak min. usage down to under 200 minutes, I am not talking to anyone at home, I am using well over 2,000 minutes of what would be peak time. I think that the 2000 min plan is $100 and an extra 500 min would be $25, so $125 I am doing the same thing for $55 But either way, I do thank you for having this discussion. :) > Anyone making a gadget that allows a cell phone to be connected to a PBX so > that calls to same carrier cell numbers are carried for free by the cell > phone instead of over the PSTN to the cell phone and thus costing $!!? We played with this idea a few years ago. The latency was intolerable. Try this out. Call someone that has a speakerphone in the same room as you are. You'll see that your voice is delayed before it comes out on the speakerphone. |
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