Remember T-Mobile @Home, the service that gave you unlimited home phone calling using a router with SIM card slots? @Home was officially discontinued back in 2010, but T-Mobile has now introduced a new, similar product.
LineLink is a new device from T-Mobile that gives you home phone service with “HD-quality” calls and unlimited calling from the US to the US, Mexico, and Canada. The LineLink adapter is a little rectangle that you plug a router and phone line into, and it’s also got a SIM slot for a T-Mobile SIM card. The requirements for the LineLink include an 802.11n or better router, an internet connection with speeds of at least 2Mbps up and down, and a home phone with an RJ11 connection.
The T-Mobile LineLink is only available at T-Mo stores. It’s available for any new and existing T-Mobile postpaid customers, Simple Choice with No Credit Check customers, and T-Mobile@Work business customers. The adapter itself costs $29.99 with a one-time $20 SIM Starter Kit fee. Monthly LineLink voice service costs $20, but you can get a $10 discount every month if you’ve got a wireless T-Mobile voice line.
T-Mobile also notes that you can keep your current home phone number when signing up for LineLink.
As for the differences between the old @Home service and LineLink, T-Mobile touts that its new offering has “better call quality and reliable service.” Another big difference is that the @Home device was a combination router and VoIP adapter, while LineLink is just a VoIP adapter, meaning that you’ll need to supply your own router.
Buying a home phone in 2016 might sound kind of strange to some folks, but there could be some good reasons for buying a LineLink. For example, people that do a lot of talking on the phone could get a LineLink for their calls at home and then not have to worry about draining their cellphone’s battery. It could also be an option for families with children that don’t have a cellphone, giving parents a way to contact kids at home and vice versa.
Are any of you interested in getting a LineLink?
Sources: T-Mobile (1), (2)