scubadu

This shouldn't be surprising, AT&T WiFi calling works everywhere but here:

"Wi-Fi Calling is restricted in the following countries: China, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Pakistan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria."

Source: https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/fe...i-calling.html

Regards

Often1

The list changes all the time and is subject to local restrictions. Best to check the link above just before you travel to avoid unpleasant surprises. Anecdotal stories here on FT don't really help that much.

scubadu

I have not seen the AT&T list change very much at all since AT&T started supporting Wifi calling, but certainly checking the list prior to travel is a good idea.

Regards

bbtrvl

The list is not surprising, it is mostly countries with US sanctions, or countries where VoIP is heavily banned (because of "security", censorship, or telecom monopoly protection)

Really the only one which I am surprised to see is Israel.

Boraxo

Not really useful to those of us who already use FaceTime to bypass high telecom rates when traveling overseas. Ironically AT&T had a wifi app that it was pushing a couple of years ago, but later decided to cease support and ultimately deleted it.

x1234

So WHY does AT&T geo-restrict certain countries due to legal reasons but not Verizon/T-Mobile or Sprint?

SRQ Guy

It's important to note that at least on AT&T it doesn't matter if a phone is natively able to do wifi calling. AT&T has to approve the device, and so far at least they only approve iPhones and devices sold by AT&T.

AT&T is wildly customer-unfriendly, and sadly no OEM who cares has the power to force their hand on Android devices.

scubadu

Do you actually understand how Wifi calling is different than Facetime? Have you ever actually used Wifi calling? You post implies that you have not.

Regards

Boraxo

Why don't you enlighten us who are so ignorant as to how this differs from Facetime, Skype and any number of other apps? And why we should care?

pseudoswede

I use it to dial into US conference calls when I'm overseas. I find it much more reliable and clearer than Google Hangouts or Skype.

Doug Ales

Like you, I'm a ignorant non-expert in this matter.

Here is what I came up with:

1) Video. FaceTime / Skype have video and audio. WiFi calling has audio only. All three have audio only options.
2) FaceTime - both people must have a Apple device, at least as far as I know.
3) Skype - both people once needed a smart phone or tablet or computer, but not anymore if you use a premium (not free) version of Skype. Then the other person can be using a landline and have no idea you placed the all through skype.
4) With WiFi calling, the other person sees your normal phone number and they can use a regular phone, land line, etc. But Skype can do this now also.
5) Calls to 911 can give false locations through wifi calls.

From my experience, call quality is highly depended on a good internet connection for any of these options.


Yes, I have used all three and understand all three use the internet and I believe the difference far more about marketing then application.


I see no clear winner between the three, but would add their is something special / memorable about a video call from a person at a remote, far off destination.

TWA884

WiFi calling works exactly the same as cellular calling on your phone. The only difference is that your call is connected via WiFi instead of your carrier's cellular network. There is no difference how the calls are made and received. There is no need to install or use any special apps. My phone switches automatically and seamlessly midcall from cellular to WiFi when I am in a weak cellular reception area.

Boraxo

All of the Apps listed by Doug (plus AT&T old Wifi App) also use WiFi to make calls instead of cell towers, hence the confusion when you use a generic term. @:-)

In practice I - and many others - have disconnected the "wifi" option for mobile calls due to the well known battery drain, as summarized by T-Mobile:
Really there is no need to enable WiFi calling in the USA if (1) You have an unlimited minutes plan (vast majority of us do) and (2) You are rarely outside of an area with sufficient cell tower coverage. Even so you could still use one of the apps listed above just as easily from a location that has wifi.

As I noted above, the bigger draw is when traveling overseas so as to avoid heinous roaming charges on the regular mobile networks. But again, the apps serve the same purpose. The only difference with enabling the wifi calling is that you phone can automatically toggle between cell towers and wifi, but then you risk high fees on the mobile network (or limit yourself to the same wifi locations that you could access through the apps).

TWA884

All the US cellular carriers use the term WiFi Calling to describe their service of connecting mobile calls via WiFi.

Battery drain has not been an issue with any of my Verizon phones. I've had and used WiFi calling with LG and Samsung phones.

To each his own. Cellular reception at my house is iffy. With WiFi calling, I can receive and make calls just as easily as I can when I am in a strong reception area without having to resort to using third party apps. As far as I know, when someone calls my mobile number and I'm out of a cellular coverage area, the call will not ring through the Skype or Facetime apps (in addition, since I don't have an Apple device, Facetime is not an option).

Well, I use Verizon's TravelPass when traveling abroad, so heinous roaming charges are not an issue. However, even if I didn't, all I have to do is place the phone in airplane mode and turn on WiFi; calls to and from the US are included in my plan and do not incur any extra charges.

I personally find Skype rather cumbersome to use and limit my use of the app to international calling (calling from the US to international destinations or calling from one foreign country to another).

gfunkdave

Children, let's all be nice to each other so I don't have to send you to bed without supper. Thanks.