If you live in Syracuse, NY, don’t be surprised if you suddenly see people using a mobile phone like you’ve never seen before.

A company named TCM Mobile has launched a wide-area VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) network that works in the free-to-use 2.4 GHz wireless spectrum.  Through the use of handsets using proprietary technology, users will be able to wander around Syracuse, speaking to whomever they choose, using one of these VoIP-enabled handsets.

While it is obvious the handsets do use some sort of Wi-Fi powering, but with some minor tweaks so that they can work with this new network.  The base stations and signal amplifiers can be placed just about anywhere from lamp posts to building roofs, and then use Wi-Fi hotspots to boost “in building” reception.  It is not clear if someone could use their own Wi-Fi router in their house or apartment to boost their signal as of yet.

The city of Syracuse is working with TCM Mobile to test the new technology that could eventually be licensed out to other carriers, and since it is using the 2.4 GHz spectrum, the threshold to what companies could use this technology for is pretty much limitless.  As opposed to cellular phone carriers having to spend billions on purchasing licenses to use specific radio bands, the 2.4 GHz band is open to anyone who chooses to use it in conjunction with FCC approved devices.

Only once concern springs to mind with something like this, and that is the fact the 2.4 GHz band has become fairly crowded over the past few years.  It is used for everything from standard Wi-Fi to cordless phones, but TCM believes they won’t have any problems. “TCM Mobile has resolved the major challenges associated with developing this type of system, such as eliminating interference, roaming seamlessly (seamless hand-off) and creating a successful network architecture,” said a senior TCM Mobile executive. “We are proud to announce that we have achieved our goals and look forward to demonstrating our technology to the world.”

It will be interesting to see where this product goes, and if we could see a day where VoIP becomes as common place as the currently ubiquitous cell phone.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm under Wi-Fi.

Read more entries by Sean P. Aune.
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