Five days ago, T-Mobile USA began a trial run of a service that could possibly allow users to make calls from home via cell phone for a monthly flat rate. Included in the project is the nation's fourth-largest wireless service provider, which will then equip customers in states such as Oregon with special routers to be placed in their homes.

And how is this significant to the current communications industry? Well, for one, if this trial proves to be successful, it just may very well open the floodgates on landline-to-wireless migration. With data supplied, it is found that as of today, about 7% of Americans use their mobile as their primary phone because it is supposedly cheaper than a landline. That number is expected to rise up to 40% in a span of ten years, at least according to the calculation of Craig Mathias, Farpoint Group's president of wireless consultancy. After all, it really would be more practical if you make calls with your mobile if you are being charged on a flat rate, say, $5 a month, as opposed to landline's rate of $30.

Of course, it also pays to have better quality of the service. Through the T-Mobile-At-Home Service, it is their goal to improve wireless signals. At present, that appears to be one of the major concerns of wireless consumers as they often have to deal with poor call quality and dead spots.

If all goes well with this dry run, we just might soon witness the next big evolution to hit the communications industry.

The release of the brand-spanking new WiFi standard, which would allow notebook users to connect to the interweb at faster speeds, has been delayed yet again -- pretty much like Microsoft OS, Vista.

While the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) had already approved of a draft version - called 802.11n - a second draft ,which should have been due this fall wouldn't most likely come out until January of next year. And that's just the second draft. This would catapult the release of the final output to 2008!

What's the reason for delay? Nearly 12,000 changes to the draft was submitted to the standards committee. Comments on the current draft are flying in from left, right, and center, and it would take the IEEE some time to agree on the new draft. Imagine: going through all those comments!

Well, we do remember some issues regarding 802.11 Pre-N drafts. So I guess it's not surprising that the IEEE should get 12,000 change requests, and even less surprising that the release date should get pushed back.

Craig Mathias, an analyst up at Farpoint Group, says that it's quite improbable that the drafts would be compatible with what the eventual standard would be, and that they (the draft routers) wouldn't be able to be upgraded to the new standard. Still, those who plan on using these drafts at home would still be able to work out their connection just fine.