Scratch Wireless unveils "free" cell phone service

[pm]

I saw this today:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425853,00.asp

Basically you get unlimited data/calls/texts as long as you are on WiFi for no monthly service fee. Which might not be so exciting (you can sort of do this nowadays with some creative VOIP/Gizmo5/Google Voice hacking), but then you can "pay as you go" for $2/day or $15/month to use the phone on Sprint's network

It's sort of like Republic Wireless's plan... except cheaper and with the option of paying nothing. Like Republic, you are locked to just one phone that you have to buy from them (a Motorola Photon Q running Android 4.1) for $270.

It's an interesting development because it starts to point to a future where - if there's lots of WiFi around - we could start seeing more of these sort of "free" plans. Couple this with the upcoming "Super WiFi" (aka "White-space WiFi") which is much longer range than regular WiFi and we could have a future where you can move away from the "Big 4" (or maybe the "Big 3 + T-Mobile") and a minimum of $50+ per month smartphone plan (with a few exceptions for MVNO's).

 

[zerogear]

So basically you get free service as long as you use wi-fi whenever you can?

 

[Red Storm]

If and when this "Super WIFI" happens, then we could easily bypass the service providers altogether, which will be FANTASTIC.

 

[Bman123]

You can already do this with voip

 

[luv2liv]

You can already do this with voip

if i have an old android phone. what app do i need to use with my google voice number?

 

[Red Storm]

if i have an old android phone. what app do i need to use with my google voice number?

I use Groove IP

 

[corkyg]

If and when this "Super WIFI" happens, then we could easily bypass the service providers altogether, which will be FANTASTIC.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Wi-Fi is wide open. We would have no right to privacy, and the result could be economic chaos adding to more unemployment. There are always unintended consequences because nothing is really free.

 

[Kougar]

The WiFi part is nice, but at $2 a day for calls light users would be better off sticking to prepaid at 5 cents a minute. $2 would equal 40 minutes a day at that rate. Depends on the consumer's needs I guess.