Shortly after Apple announced that its new iPhones would support Wi-Fi calling at last week’s big reveal, AT&T announced that its customers will be able to make calls over Wi-Fi with both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2015, according to a report from Light Reading.
“We’re very focused on making sure it’s a great experience for customers, but we see it as a complement, not a replacement,” AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions Group CEO Ralph de la Vega said. The Wi-Fi calling feature will be offered in addition to the 3G and LTE voice-over services.
How Does It Work?
Wi-Fi calling allows users to make calls from their cell phones while connected to a personal or business wireless network, instead of calling through the typical carrier 3G, 4G, or LTE network. Though it does still count toward a user’s phone plan minutes, calling over Wi-Fi is typically more stable since it relies on a short-range, high-powered network. That’s why a home or work Wi-Fi network is just fine for streaming HD movies, but sometimes even high-speed LTE isn’t. Coverage also plays an important role: More Wi-Fi routers have a very small area of coverage, but calling works well almost anywhere within that range.
Carriers Vary
Wi-Fi calling could be a major boost for carriers and users, too. It’s unclear whether the service will support sending SMS messages over personal Wi-Fi networks in addition to calls, and whether Wi-Fi communication will cause a noticeable impact on home and business networks’ performance.
Are you excited AT&T is going to offer Wi-Fi calling on the new iPhone 6?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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