Instead, your call will route through a Wi-Fi network only if it is stronger than your carrier’s cellular network. Enabling Wi-Fi calling doesn’t mean that you commit to routing calls solely through Wi-Fi. Then, it will route the call through a cellular or Wi-Fi network-whichever happens to be the strongest at the time of the call.
When Wi-Fi calling is enabled, your phone will automatically identify the strongest network available after you dial. Instead, you enable a setting on your phone that turns on this feature.
VERIZON WIDI INSTALL
You do not need to install an application to use Wi-Fi calling. When people mention Wi-Fi calling, they are referring to the carrier-branded calling that is automatically available on your phone. This distinction is important because when people refer to VoIP, they are typically referring to a standalone application or platform that requires installation-such as the consumer and business applications mentioned above. The accessibility, cost-effectiveness and reliability of VoIP spurred telecommunication carriers into action: Carriers used VoIP technology to develop this new competitive feature called “Wi-Fi calling” that would work automatically on a user’s smartphone when they were using a wireless network. For businesses, a few major VoIP platforms include RingCentral, Vonage, Avaya and Ooma. Popular platforms and mobile applications that run on VoIP include Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger and Google Meet. VoIP sounds incredibly technical, but you’ve probably used this technology on multiple occasions, both as a consumer and in the workplace. Although Wi-Fi calling may seem like a fancy new feature, the technology that powers it has been around for years and is known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In fact, if you’ve ever made a call while your device was connected to a network, you’ve probably already used Wi-Fi calling. In the past few years, the “Wi-Fi calling” setting has been made more prominent on mobile devices. VoIP and Wi-Fi Calling: What’s the Difference?
In these scenarios, Wi-Fi calling can be a great alternative for when your smartphone is connected to a wireless network. We’ve all experienced at least one time where our phone provider’s coverage was spotty. With Wi-Fi calling, the call is routed to a Wi-Fi network instead of your phone service provider’s network. The difference between Wi-Fi calling and regular phone calls happens behind the scenes.
You can use all of the same features you’re used to, like three-way calling and speakerphone, as you would with any other phone call. What Is Wi-Fi Calling?įrom a user experience perspective, Wi-Fi calling behaves just like a regular phone call-you dial a phone number as you normally would. So, what exactly is Wi-Fi calling, and what does enabling that setting mean for the sound quality of your calls and your phone bill? Learn whether Wi-Fi calling makes sense for you and your business practices in this complete guide. T-Mobile and Sprint offered this feature on certain phones back in 2007 and over the years, Verizon, AT&T and other popular carriers have added Wi-Fi calling as part of their service options. To combat this, carriers began introducing Wi-Fi calling. Years ago, virtual communication tools like Skype were considered a threat to telecommunication carriers-especially as the availability of public Wi-Fi hotspots grew.