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Since late last fall, T-Mobile has been publicly testing a new dual-mode service called HotSpot @Home in Seattle. All signs are pointing towards the carrier going nationwide with HotSpot @Home next week, on Wednesday, June 27th.

The Boy Genius Report says it has seen documents that suggest the launch will occur on that day. We've also received strong indications that it'll happen in and around the 27th as well.

So what exactly is HotSpot @Home?

It is a service based on Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology. So it allows users to seamlessly switch voice calls and data connections between a Wi-Fi and cellular connection, depending on which is available and most cost effective at a particular moment.

For example, a user can be on a cellular-call, using the minutes from their mobile plan, but when they walk into their home or in range of a T-Mobile hotspot, the call is automatically moved over to Wi-Fi without interruption, saving those and possibly improving reception. The same would happen while streaming audio over T-Mobile's EDGE network on the data side, for instance.

T-Mobile HotSpot @Home costs $20 a month on top of your regular cell phone plan. It delivers unlimited voice over Wi-Fi calls from T-Mobile's more than 8,000 hotspots and your home through a Wi-Fi access point. You pay $5 more per month for each additional family member. And you may also choose to have the service deduct minutes from your regular bucket of minutes in your cell phone plan.

The operator offers a router for $50 that is free after a mail-in rebate. The service will work with any router, however.

While the Seattle trial was initially performed using the Nokia 6136 and Samsung T709 cell phones, T-Mobile has since moved to the newer Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409 for HotSpot @Home.

Unlike most voice over IP (VoIP) services, T-Mobile HotSpot @Home has the advantage of supporting a single phone number for both cellular and Wi-Fi phone calls. It also promises to deliver better phone service to areas where cell phones do not work well or at all. It should also prove attractive to those who prefer to do without a landline phone.