Don’t dropped cell phone calls tick you off?

You’re already being gouged with pay-by-the-minute and now you have to re-connect to find out the address of your McGuffin. 

What if your cellular provider not only offered voice-over Wi-Fi but let you roam seamlessly in GSM and any Wi-Fi? With a seamless handoff between networks, you’d never fear a wireless signal sink again.

That’s an option you will have with a new service being provided by AT&T and T-Mobile. The new technology is called the Generic Access Network or GAN. The service is gaining momentum, with obvious benefits to connected business Crackberry addicts, service providers like T-Mobile and AT&T want to bring it to the home market as well.

GAN, previously known as Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) prior to April 2005, requires a special subscription arrangement with your cellular provider. And, of course, your handset must be capable of dual mode.

Lingo Alert - Dual Mode: Today a dual mode cell phone lets you talk over Wi-Fi or digital networks. Back when analog networks and cell phones were more common, dual mode meant your cell phone was capable of roaming between digital and analog networks.

RIM’s Blackberry 8820 is AT&T’s dual mode handset and should be available to American consumers in August. In Canada, the Blackberry 8820 will probably be on the market by the fall through AT&T’s little GSM cousin, Rogers. T-Mobile already offers the service with two handsets – the Nokia 6086 and Samsung T409.

How valuable is it for you to be able to seamlessly walk between networks? It’s difficult to say. A lot will depend on the quality of the Internet to Telecom switch provided by your Mobile network provider. Will it be any better than a third party like Skype? I’ve used Skype-out over Wi-Fi and find it to be a scratchy, delay ridden affair I am never in a hurry to repeat. Your mobile service will probably provide better quality, but how much for it’s GAN service? Remember – a handset capable of dual mode can also do standalone Wi-Fi, which means Skype is an option! Just as soon as Skype comes up with a Blackberry client.

Your service provider may lock down Wi-Fi on your handset until you subscribe to its GAN service. That’s where hacking your cell phone comes in handy. Or you could just give that job to a professional like Warlox.