Nokia 6301b (T Mobile) firmware upgrade question

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A little background and then and then a question.

I have the $5.99 Tmobileweb and my previous phone was the Sony Ericsson TM506. I have very poor reception in my home, though good service elsewhere in my community. I love the fact that with my TM506 I can use Opera Mini, Gmail app, Google Maps, etc. But I would like to use my phone (if only to receive calls) at home. So I bought a Nokia 6301 (ebay). The phone is clean and easy to use, and I get great service via UMA at home, but I would like to use the other apps like Opera, etc.

I have read about downloading some Proprietary Software (Phoenix) and firmware images on this forum to flash the phone to an unbranded version, which would allow me to use these apps. I consider myself fairly technically savvy, but I hesitate to use software that has to be downloaded from less than reliable sources. I also have read some horror stories about people losing UMA access after upgrading firmware. If not for the UMA access, I would stick with the TM506.

Are there any other options? Will T Mobile offer a firmware upgrade that allows these other apps to access the internet? Does the v8.22 allow this? Am I stuck with using the TM506 for applications and the 6301 for UMA when at home or traveling abroad?

I realize this may be a little redundant, so i appreciate your understanding.