July 27, 2004

Wi-Fi + Cellular

The long-awaited mingling of cellular and wi-fi appears to be moving closer. On Monday, Motorola announced a new phone that will allow users to move between cellular and wi-fi connections, switching service automatically depending on location and use. According to a C|Net report,
Handset maker Motorola on Monday introduced a new phone that it says will switch calls seamlessly between cellular services and wireless Internet networks, potentially offering business customers big savings if the technology works as promised.
The phone allows users to connect to Voice over IP (VoIP) networks (which provide relatively cheap connectivity and high bandwith, but short range) as well as cellular networks (which offer much longer ranges, but higher prices and lower bandwidths). According to C|Net, Motorola has not signed deals with any cellular carriers yet (who worry, as one might expect, about the wi-fi aspects of the technology eating into their profits).

Gizmodo has some interesting commentary, as well as pix, of the new device (labeled the CN620):

CN620 clamshell is coming to town, and by town I mean 'the town where you can transfer Wi-Fi Voice-Over-IP calls to GSM, also known as Awesomeville.'

[via CNET News.com and Gizmodo] Posted by johndan at July 27, 2004 08:54 AM | TrackBack