Fido takes the lead, home users go walkies

Rogers Wireless has announced that it will roll out an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) service giving users unlimited voice calls in their homes through a high speed internet connection, reports financialpost.com. The service is to be marketed by Rogers under the Home Calling Zone brand, and by its wholly owned wireless subsidiary Fido as ‘Fido Uno.’ UMA customers may use Rogers’ cable modem connections or any other ISP, and the company says it will cover the initial cost of the router. The service is priced at CAD15 (USD14.95) per month for unlimited local calling and CAD20 for unlimited calling across Canada, not including the cost of a compatible mobile handset. Only two Nokia UMA handsets will be available initially but Rogers says more will be released later this year. T-Mobile USA launched a similar UMA service earlier this year.