Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) announced availability of the UMA-enabled BlackBerry Pearl 8120 to customers in Canada. The new smartphone supports Rogers Home Calling Zone, an UMA-based service from Rogers that enables customers to make unlimited voice calls over a wireless Internet connection. Rogers is the first carrier in Canada to offer UMA services.
Similar to T-Mobile USA’s Hotspot@Home dual-mode service, Rogers Home Calling Zone leverages the dual-mode Wi-Fi and cellular capabilities of handsets like the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for both cellular and VoIP calling. T-Mobile USA announced availability of the BlackBery Pearl 8120 in April.
“In addition to Wi-Fi connectivity for both voice and data, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 smartphone offers rich multimedia features and the industry’s leading mobile messaging capabilities in an amazingly compact and stylish design,” Mark Guibert, vice president of corporate marketing at RIM, said in a statement. “The Rogers Home Calling Zone service adds another valuable dimension to the customer experience and helps make the new BlackBerry Pearl 8120 an ideal phone for both personal and business use.”
