Reminder: In-flight texting and Cellspot WiFi router are available from T-Mobile starting today
Just as a reminder, T-Mobile’s next Uncarrier phase – announced last week – begins today with the launch of a free Cellspot WiFi router, and free in-flight texting.
To be eligible for the free Cellspot router, you have to meet certain criteria:
- You must be a postpaid customer.
- You must have a high-speed broadband internet connection.
- You must have a WiFi calling-capable smartphone (sorry, Nexus fans).
If you meet all three, you can get the Cellspot for free, minus a $25 refundable deposit that you’ll get back whenever you decide to return the router to T-Mobile. If you don’t meet all of the above criteria, you can still get one, but it will cost you $99.
The Cellspot is basically a modified ASUS dual-band AC wireless router that has been optimized to prioritize WiFi calling and texting without effecting overall performance. T-Mobile says it has a retail value of over $200, which is true based on current prices for comparable ASUS AC routers. This means that, even if you buy one outright, you’re still getting a great deal.
It’s important to note that due to computer issues on T-Mobile’s side, some customers are finding that their physical stores can’t sell their inventory of Cellspot routers. If this is the case for you, you should still be able to complete an order in store or over the and have the router shipped to you. At this time, it appears that online sales are not possible.
Additionally, anyone who is flying today or after also gets an added bonus: If your flight has Gogo In-flight WiFi, you can send text messages and listen to visual voicemail for free. (Sorry, no WiFi calling.) To do this, you must have a WiFi calling-capable smartphone (sorry again, Nexus users), have an E-911 address on file with T-Mobile, and have completed at least one WiFi phone call in the past. Then, simply connect to Gogo while you’re in the air, click the T-Mobile logo, and you are ready to start texting.
