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WiFi Calling

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  • 05-06-2014 3:56pm
    #1
    ShowMeTheCash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭


    Does anyone know if any of the irish carriers do or ever plan to include wifi calling as part of their service.

    apple have announced that the IOS 8 will support Wifi calling but I do not think there is a service yet in this country that actually do it?

    I know in the UK Oranage and T-Mobile support it.

    Anyone know of anything or is it in the pipeline?


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    #2
    Mr. G
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 4,621 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mr. G


    Vodafone may in the future but it's hard to know at this stage.

    You could always download a sip client to your device and use VoIP there.


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    #3
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,009 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Before using any service it might be worthwhile reading this article ......

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/06/vodafone-reveals-secret-wires-allowing-state-surveillance


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    #4
    heverej
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭heverej


    I live in Gowran, County Kilkenny and mobile reception is so bad with all operators that i divert my mobile to my landline when at home as I cannot make or receive a call without being cut off. WIFI Calling I think would be the answer as I think this allows you to make and receive calls if connected to WIFI. But does any of the mobile operators offer this service???


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    #5
    Mr. G
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 4,621 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mr. G


    heverej wrote: »
    I live in Gowran, County Kilkenny and mobile reception is so bad with all operators that i divert my mobile to my landline when at home as I cannot make or receive a call without being cut off. WIFI Calling I think would be the answer as I think this allows you to make and receive calls if connected to WIFI. But does any of the mobile operators offer this service???

    Vodafone Sure Signal would help if you're on Vodafone.

    iMessage, Viber/Whatsapp work over WiFi.

    As far as WiFi calling, I can't find anything about it so it's likely that you can't do it. You can of course, as mentioned above, use a VoIP provider at home, but that isn't idea as you see with the landline. The only option here is to get Vodafone Sure Signal.


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    #6
    ShowMeTheCash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭ShowMeTheCash


    I opened a thread about this a while back.

    Three UK do it also as do o2 UK though technically they will soon or already are the same company...

    They can do it, it's not like they need to add anything that is not already there, but we live in a country that would tax their granny if they could figure a way to do it...

    If they bring this in you will see people droppping their landline and the extorintate line-rental rates.

    Someone needs to get paid before this get's the green light!


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    #7
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,009 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Maybe I am misunderstanding what is meant by 'wifi calling', but it seems to me I have been doing this for several years!

    In other words I make calls using my mobile phone, over a wireless connection in any Hotel or elsewhere that I can get a wireless connection.

    I guess what is meant here is an integrated service with the mobile phone providers.

    The result, from my point of view is that I can make calls from my mobile phone, when out and about (or at home) without using my mobile service providers phone or data package.
    My calls provide a caller ID ... selectable by me.
    Calls cost about 2c per minute.

    Others, with a similar VOIP (SIP) app on their phone or PC I call without cost.

    Is this what you meant by 'wifi calling' or have I missed the meaning entirely?

    I 'think' you mean an integrated (by phone service provider) system ....... but I doubt I would use it due to the usual high cost of calls from those providers. It would be more convenient, but at a cost.


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    #8
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Yeah, in this case its SIP to Cellular Carrier vs GSM to Cellular Carrier. So you still use 003538XXXXXXX but over an IP tunnel instead.

    I'm waiting for Three to roll out VOLTE which is similar, itll allow forced 4G all the time, no falling back to H+.


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    #9
    slegs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,012 ✭✭✭slegs


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Before using any service it might be worthwhile reading this article ......

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/06/vodafone-reveals-secret-wires-allowing-state-surveillance

    Nothing whatsover to do with Wifi Calling


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    #10
    slegs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,012 ✭✭✭slegs


    True wifi calling is setup at the network level and is seamless to your phone. You move between the mobile network and wifi zones for making calls and receiving texts. A?s noted it uses VoLTE technology and the IMS network layer manage the clients whether on wifi or mobile network. True wifi calling uses no app but the normal dialler in the phone. EE are the first in UK to launch it. Three in UK have an app which is a workaround until they get the EE solution.


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    #11
    ShowMeTheCash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭ShowMeTheCash


    slegs wrote: »
    True wifi calling is setup at the network level and is seamless to your phone. You move between the mobile network and wifi zones for making calls and receiving texts. A?s noted it uses VoLTE technology and the IMS network layer manage the clients whether on wifi or mobile network. True wifi calling uses no app but the normal dialler in the phone. EE are the first in UK to launch it. Three in UK have an app which is a workaround until they get the EE solution.

    Not really correct.
    Orange and T-Mobile had (UMA) Unlicensed Mobile Access. Not all mobile phones are UMA enabled but most blackberry's are.

    I work for a UK company and have been using UMA over my wifi at home for the last 5 years in Donegal.

    Wifi-calling and UMA are essentially the same thing albeit the software on the phone is probably a little different. But again not all phones have wifi calling software either.

    Three have an app but they also have a signal booster which effectively creates a three signal via your wifi, it's little back box and to your phone it just the three network but again only available in the UK.


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    #12
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    ShowMeTheCash wrote: »
    Three have an app but they also have a signal booster which effectively creates a three signal via your wifi, it's little back box and to your phone it just the three network but again only available in the UK.

    Thats a femtocell, not really related to wifi calling at all. Vodafone used to offer them here, under the branding "Suresignal", but they seemed to have stopped supplying them.


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    #13
    ShowMeTheCash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭ShowMeTheCash


    ED E wrote: »
    Thats a femtocell, not really related to wifi calling at all. Vodafone used to offer them here, under the branding "Suresignal", but they seemed to have stopped supplying them.

    It's related in the sense it still runs through the wifi.

    The protocol is not important

    femtocell is set up by the SP and really was something the SP's started doing to ensure coverage.
    Wifi calling is really taking the VOIP technology and the SP adding some backend software to reach the SP allocated numbers.

    Femtocell has some benefits in that, you do not need a web enabled phone to use it also wifi on a phone has an impact on battery life, femtocell replicates the SP signal so you can turn wifi off and still make the call.

    Effectively the difference is wifi does it under the hood, femtocell replicates the SP singnal and does it through a device.

    It is hard to know if there will even just be one manner of doing this.
    Wifi calling allows for large data transfer but wifi can be unpredictable and does not have to adhere to the same standards of quality.

    But anyway... I would be happy with any solution, I have no phone coverage for mobile phones whatsoever at home, I do have fixed wireless broadband... It is sad when sitting at home in Donegal the only mobile phone that works is my UK mobile phone!


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