Is there any valid reason why Wifi calling is not enabled and we have to wait until mid 2015?

[TheMonsterWasMe]

It seems like it shouldn't have anything to do with the carrier since its completely off their network. It is a feature and function of the device. I've been living in a dead zone for over a year and was excited to hear Wifi calling was coming with the iOS 8 update. After updating today I found out that Verizon has no plans to enable a feature that Apple has made available now until mid 2015. According to the CFO Fran Shammo, "We built our voice platform so extensively [that] there was never a need for us to tell our customers, 'Oh, our network is not good enough so you need to go on Wi-Fi to complete your call." I know I'm not alone here in an area not covered by Verizon and as tempting as it is to buy their $250 network extender I'd much rather use a FREE alternative that is available NOW and has NO BEARING ON VERIZON'S SPOTTY NETWORK that I have the misfortune of living in.

[Tidbits · Accepted solution]

WiFi calling will use your minutes. Also yes there is a valid reason... Network security as well as stability. Depending on which route they choose it'll also require software testing.

[TheMonsterWasMe]

How will Wifi calling use minutes when I'm connected to my home ISP (Comcast) and its completely unrelated to Verizon's wireless network? What security and stability issues are there? Its secure enough for me to do all my other online activities. As far as stability goes I've had my Comcast internet go out ZERO times in a year and a half and I've had all except maybe 5 phone calls dropped on Verizon's network in my house. Stability shouldnt even factor in for them. Comcast would be doing the work. I don;t know what you mean by which route they choose. They need to choose the route of getting out of Apple's way and letting them run their OS the way its designed.

[Tidbits]

Everything is routed TO Verizon network(how your number shows up on caller ID), not bypass.

[TheMonsterWasMe]

I understand that. T-Mobile has been doing Wifi calling since 2011. That puts Verizon four years behind by the time they plan the rollout. That doesn't say much for a carrier that touts being a leader in the industry. It doesn't take much for call routing or "switching" and to say it takes 9 months is a joke.

[Tidbits]

Do you think T-Mobile only took a short time with WiFi calling?  T-Mobile been doing WiFi calling long before 2011.  More like 2009 with their previous type(software and very broken... very... broken...) and also before that with the UMA(hardware) feature. I actually Loathed the software attempt with networking initially.  I very much loved the UMA which does handoffs unlike the software version.

If you don't want to wait then you can switch to T-Mobile and get WiFi calling if that feature is so important.  They have 4 years to get it going good right?

Just some Tidbit of information(no pun intended)... I have AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile for my service providers through work.  WiFi calling for T-Mobile is lightyears ahead of what it used to but, but it still isn't a stable option enough for me to rely on it.

[#7]

TheMonsterWasMe wrote:

I understand that. T-Mobile has been doing Wifi calling since 2011. That puts Verizon four years behind by the time they plan the rollout. That doesn't say much for a carrier that touts being a leader in the industry. It doesn't take much for call routing or "switching" and to say it takes 9 months is a joke.

T-Mobile needs wi-fi calling because their network sucks. Why do you even need it anyway?

[Tidbits]

Would love to have every carrier offer coverage everywhere.  Verizon may be the best nationwide, but they don't cover everywhere. When I travel WiFi calling works great in places with little to no coverage no matter what carrier I was using.  I end up using my T-Mobile lines when I travel to those locations.

[#9]

Tidbits wrote:

Would love to have every carrier offer coverage everywhere.  Verizon may be the best nationwide, but they don't cover everywhere. When I travel WiFi calling works great in places with little to no coverage no matter what carrier I was using.  I end up using my T-Mobile lines when I travel to those locations.

I find places that don't have Verizon coverage tend to be the same areas that don't have broadband internet which renders wi-fi calling moot. Yes there are areas in my county that have poor or no service. As I aid these places do not have broadband internet either. So what good is wi-fi calling to them?

As far as T-Mobile I'd have to drive 70 miles just to get to a 4G area and over 40 miles to even get to an area that provides T-Mobile edge. Now if I'm using wi-fi for both calling and data then what am I paying T-Mobile for?

[rcschnoor]

mrhelper wrote:

I find places that don't have Verizon coverage tend to be the same areas that don't have broadband internet which renders wi-fi calling moot.

I find places that don't have Verizon coverage tend to be inside buildings which DO have broadband internet, such as my workplace and some homes. With wifi calling I don't have to leave my phone in airplane mode all day long as it would not be searching for a signal constantly sitting at my desk an draining my battery within an hour or two.

Additionally with wifi calling, it would END all of these complaints that Verizon requires you to PURCHASE a network extender if you have no service in your home EVEN if you have service directly outside of your home.

There are MANY reasons to want wifi calling.