The Lemon Fool

I've asked for help with WiFi calling before and was able to set it up and it's been fantastic. We live in an area with no mobile signal so it's made life so much more convenient.

Currently I'm with 3 as a mobile service provider and Talk Talk as a broadband provider, my mobile is a Nokia 2.3.

Talk talk are now asking £33.95 for renewing my contract which is 36Mb/s and anytime calls. I've found I can get a much better deal from Now Broadband. (£20 for 66Mb/s and anytime calls)

I'm not sure if WiFi calling will be available on Now Broadband, does anyone know? Is it the Broadband supplier provide WiFi calling or is it the Mobile service provider?

Which Broadband providers do provide WiFi calling

I honestly don't understand these things.

WiFi calling is a function of the mobile phone and the mobile service provider. You can use WiFi calling over any wifi network you have access to. The broadband networking doesn't know or care about the type of data it is transmitting.

I'm switching from BT to Zen broadband next Tuesday, and I'm currently asking the same questions as you! So interested in any responses.

But generally, I'm getting the impression that many/most broadband suppliers will specify that the phone itself must be from a particular list of approved handsets, which don't seem to include any of the cheap ones. Was certainly true of BT, worse luck.

BJ

PhaseThree wrote:WiFi calling is a function of the mobile phone and the mobile service provider. You can use WiFi calling over any wifi network you have access to. The broadband networking doesn't know or care about the type of data it is transmitting.

This.

You might well find that SIM cards from low cost virtual network operators or the lower cost actual network operators prevent you from enabling WiFi calling on your handset. At least that's my own experience using Android phones.

Infrasonic wrote:

PhaseThree wrote:WiFi calling is a function of the mobile phone and the mobile service provider. You can use WiFi calling over any wifi network you have access to. The broadband networking doesn't know or care about the type of data it is transmitting.

This.

Yes but that implies that you don't even need a phone contract to make and receive calls.

But then you would not have a phone number!

BullDog wrote:You might well find that SIM cards from low cost virtual network operators or the lower cost actual network operators prevent you from enabling WiFi calling on your handset. At least that's my own experience using Android phones.

That is interesting because I have two phones on two separate contracts. One allows wifi calling and the other does not. I had wondered why that was.

Lootman wrote:

Infrasonic wrote:

PhaseThree wrote:WiFi calling is a function of the mobile phone and the mobile service provider. You can use WiFi calling over any wifi network you have access to. The broadband networking doesn't know or care about the type of data it is transmitting.

This.

Yes but that implies that you don't even need a phone contract to make and receive calls.

But then you would not have a phone number!

BullDog wrote:You might well find that SIM cards from low cost virtual network operators or the lower cost actual network operators prevent you from enabling WiFi calling on your handset. At least that's my own experience using Android phones.

That is interesting because I have two phones on two separate contracts. One allows wifi calling and the other does not. I had wondered why that was.

Swap the SIM cards between phones and you will know for sure if one of the SIM cards is disabling WiFi calling.

PhaseThree wrote:WiFi calling is a function of the mobile phone and the mobile service provider. You can use WiFi calling over any wifi network you have access to. The broadband networking doesn't know or care about the type of data it is transmitting.

Absolutely.

And WiFi calling doesn’t just work whilst you are at home. Anywhere you are connected to WiFi, shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. if the phone thinks the mobile coverage isn’t good enough it will switch over to WiFi calling.

You need a SIM for WiFi calling, the phone justs uses the Wifi as a transport instead of the mobile network. There is no difference in pricing either. Some networks (e.g. Virgin) reserve Wifi calling for business customers, others (Plusnet) don't do it at all. BT offer WiFi calling on all their plans, they have a list of approved phones but mine isn't on it and it works fine.

Thank you for the replies, I understand how it works a little better now. I'll give Now Broadband a call and see if they include WiFi Calling.

sg31 wrote:Thank you for the replies, I understand how it works a little better now. I'll give Now Broadband a call and see if they include WiFi Calling.

It would be 3 you need to ask, unless you're looking at moving your mobile contract to Now as well.

To use wifi calling, it needs to be supported by your mobile operator and your handset. If 3 support wifi calling, and you have a handset that supports wifi calling with 3, you can use wifi calling - it doesn't make any difference what broadband you have.
You can use wifi calling anywhere you can get wifi - at a friend's house (if they give you the wifi password), on a public wifi in a cafe, etc. - it doesn't have to be your own broadband.

Also worth noting - you're still charged for the calls when you use wifi calling. Even though it travels over wifi and the internet rather than the mobile tower, it will still be billed (or use included minutes) in the same way.

despite info/ advcie on the web, my samsung a20 dopesnt appear to have wifi calling available on it to begin with. Which is odd given various googling suggests it shoud be there .

eg https://videotron.tmtx.ca/en/topic/sams ... tml#step=1

didds

didds wrote:despite info/ advcie on the web, my samsung a20 dopesnt appear to have wifi calling available on it to begin with. Which is odd given various googling suggests it shoud be there .

eg https://videotron.tmtx.ca/en/topic/sams ... tml#step=1

didds

That could be because the SIM card doesn't support it. If the SIM card doesn't support WiFi calling, you won't see the option in the settings to enable it. At least that's how my Android phones have behaved. Try a SIM card that you know for a fact does support WiFi calling and look again at the settings. HTH.

didds wrote:despite info/ advcie on the web, my samsung a20 dopesnt appear to have wifi calling available on it to begin with. Which is odd given various googling suggests it shoud be there .

eg https://videotron.tmtx.ca/en/topic/sams ... tml#step=1

didds

This UK page notes that if WiFi calling isn't sipported by your mobile network, it won't appear in the menu

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobi ... martphone/

SteelCamel wrote:

sg31 wrote:Thank you for the replies, I understand how it works a little better now. I'll give Now Broadband a call and see if they include WiFi Calling.

It would be 3 you need to ask, unless you're looking at moving your mobile contract to Now as well.

To use wifi calling, it needs to be supported by your mobile operator and your handset. If 3 support wifi calling, and you have a handset that supports wifi calling with 3, you can use wifi calling - it doesn't make any difference what broadband you have.
You can use wifi calling anywhere you can get wifi - at a friend's house (if they give you the wifi password), on a public wifi in a cafe, etc. - it doesn't have to be your own broadband.

Also worth noting - you're still charged for the calls when you use wifi calling. Even though it travels over wifi and the internet rather than the mobile tower, it will still be billed (or use included minutes) in the same way.

But if there's virtual network operators offering the 3 network, their SIMs may not support WiFi calling. For example, Vodafone SIMs support Wifi calling but my Lebara SIM on the Vodafone network doesn't support it. I don't need WiFi calling so it isn't an issue for me.

chas49 wrote:

didds wrote:despite info/ advcie on the web, my samsung a20 dopesnt appear to have wifi calling available on it to begin with. Which is odd given various googling suggests it shoud be there .

eg https://videotron.tmtx.ca/en/topic/sams ... tml#step=1

didds

This UK page notes that if WiFi calling isn't sipported by your mobile network, it won't appear in the menu

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobi ... martphone/

Exactly.

Just to round off the thread I have spoken to Now Broadband customer services. The first person I spoke to hadn't got a clue and put the phone down on me. I rang back and spoke to a very helpful young man who did know about WiFi calling. He checked with his manager who confirmed that if my phone provider allowed WiFi Calling it would work on their system. On sign up they give 31 day cancellation anyway so I could cancel within that period without charge.

Unless it goes wrong in practice it seems like a result.

Now Broadband 67Mb/s, Anytime calls, 12 months contract, UK call centre for £21.

Talk Talk, 36Mb/s, Anytime calls, 18 month contract, Indian call centre. £34

sg31 wrote:
Now Broadband 67Mb/s, Anytime calls, 12 months contract, UK call centre for £21.

Talk Talk, 36Mb/s, Anytime calls, 18 month contract, Indian call centre. £34

possible derail...

in my limited understanding etc ...

how can NB offer almost twice the speed connection than TT, given the infrastraucture is presumably the same Openreach provisions to your house/flat etc ?


didds

.

with vodafone broadband at £19.50/m .

using xiaomi redmi note 10 s 5g - c£200.

mobile provider is asdamobile.

wifi calling works fine .

didds wrote:

sg31 wrote:
Now Broadband 67Mb/s, Anytime calls, 12 months contract, UK call centre for £21.

Talk Talk, 36Mb/s, Anytime calls, 18 month contract, Indian call centre. £34

possible derail...

in my limited understanding etc ...

how can NB offer almost twice the speed connection than TT, given the infrastraucture is presumably the same Openreach provisions to your house/flat etc ?


didds

Openreach network is capable of the higher speed, I have it right here. In this case, it would seem TT aren't offering it, or perhaps they do so at a higher price point.