[Ti] Free nationwide wireless internet

[Sherman Gregory]

At 3:37 AM -0500 3/19/03, Steve Wozniak wrote:
>The subject of TiBook data connections comes up frequently on this list.
>
>I saw someone tonight who does this for free, legally.
>
>Cingular has a family plan and they allow circuit-switched (like 
>voice) modem connections (9600 baud) to your ISP. Such connections 
>are charged as voice minutes of use.
>
>But voice calls between two phones in your family plan are, or can 
>be, free, for unlimited minutes.
>
>So you can use your TiBook to dial a modem call, via your main cell 
>phone, to another cell phone at home. That phone at home is tied 
>into a computer at home, which treats the phone as a modem, and can 
>be set up to answer calls. So dial into your own home computer, and 
>join its network.
>
>And it's a free call from anywhere within Cingular's range.
>
>You only pay for a plan with enough minutes for your voice needs. That's all.
>
>I am very amazed at this technique!

Did you actually see this work, or was someone just speculating that 
it would?  I would be surprised if it did.   It might work, but there 
are a couple of issues that I can foresee.

I don't know much about Cingular's GSM based system, but I do know a 
little about CDMA systems.  When a wireless phone acts as a modem in 
the circuit switched sense, it is not phone that is performing the 
modem function, but a modem in the fixed infrastructure side of the 
system.  So I wonder how the infrastructure on the terminating end of 
the call knows to be a modem?  It could be done, but I think that it 
would take extra work on the part of the system designers to support 
a function that they do not want people to use.

If this really works, I am interested in knowing details.

I don't know what Cingular's family plan costs, but for $99/month 
from Sprint or Verizon I can get packet data service that will 
connect me to the Internet with download speeds of "up to" 144kb/s 
within their respective "nationwide" coverage areas.  Certainly a lot 
faster than the 9600.  I have used both of these myself.   I use the 
Sprint service with a Novatel Merlin C201 PCMCIA card and the Verizon 
service with a Motorola T720c phone and a USB cable.  Both of these 
work with my Ti running 10.2.4.

    Sherman