YMax Corp, the Palm Beach based company that made the original MagicJack were showing off their new version of the MagicJack at the CES in Las Vegas and it’s bound to cause quite a stir with some mobile phone carriers and here’s why.
What the new version does is enable users to make free calls from their mobile phones within their own home without using up any of their call time and completely bypassing the mobile phone carriers’ towers. Cool eh?
Some are wondering if the device, which is only going to cost around $40, is totally legal as it uses radio frequencies without permission and the licenses to use these radio frequencies have been bought by mobile phone carriers who have paid a small fortune for them.
However, according to Dan Borislow, the CEO of YMax, the device is perfectly legal because wireless spectrum licences don’t extend into the home.
He’s obviously looked into it then but we’ll just have to wait and if there’s going to be some sort of protest from mobile phone carriers.
Anyway, forget that for the time being, what the device means for consumers is they simply have to purchase the MagicJack, connect it to any mobile phone that uses GSM technology and start making free calls. I’m all for that.
How it works is you plug the magicJack into a computer or laptop with a broadband connection and then the device will detect when a mobile phone that is compatible is within about 8 feet.
The device will then call the mobile using the carrier’s licensed spectrum to connect to the phone and the person using the mobile enters a short code on the phone.
Once this code is entered the mobile phone is connected to the magicJack and apparently you will be able to make calls provided it is within a range of about 3,000 square feet or so.
The call is then routed over the internet instead of going through the mobile phone carrier’s tower; basically bypassing the carrier’s tower by creating a mini tower in the home. Clever stuff!
The MagicJack in operation was demonstrated at the CES where a visitor with a mobile phone on a T-Mobile contract was able to use the magicJack to make and receive a call.
YMax plan to start selling the updated MagicJack device around May 2010.
