WiFi Calling - Time for same features as rest of BT

[#1]

My opinion of Plusnet first of all. Customer services people often have great attitude but limited knowledge. I know it's not the fault of the individuals and I still much prefer talking to Plusnet over BT.

Ok my beef with Plusnet - I have a great value sim only deal yet the mobile signal is so tenuous in the house I never make anything but the briefest of calls. I know the chances of the call dropping are high.

Why oh why are Plusnet customers not being offered wifi calling like the sister company EE and parent BT?

I would very much like to know the official reason.

I am being forced to move away from Plusnet mobile so that I can use my mobile in the house. If I go to BT mobile I do not get the £5 off as a BT BB customer as I use Plusnet BB. EE is even more expensive.

Come on Plusnet - let's have the same features as the rest of BT. Is Plusnet as mentioned elsewhere the cheap and cheerful M.O - not so cheerful in my case!

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi @MichaelL, 

thanks for taking the time out to leave us some feedback today! We appreciate all feedback as it allows us to continually improve as a service provider. 

As you've mentioned in your above post we are an MVNO who aim to provide the best possible value, if we were to include all the features of the EE network this would have to be reflected in the price and come in to line with EE pricing. 

This being said we do value all customer suggestions and I'll certainly forward this on to the relevant team. 

[#3]

The point is Sarah that people aren't asking for fancy features. They merely want a phone that they can use in the house or other areas with weak mobile signal but wifi availability. Who knows how many people have the same issue.

Plusnet needs to regard wifi calling as an essential or otherwise provide/sell an equivalent of Vodafone's Suresignal picocell. 

Have PN considered the impact of people either not moving to PN for BB and mobile or moving elsewhere for both?

[#4]

MichaelL, just as a matter of interest what is your reason for choosing PlusNet over one of the other mobile providers who offers WiFi calling? I understand that you don't view this as a premium feature, but I would be most interested to know what you do consider as premium.

If WiFi calling is so essential to you, is there any reason you don't just move to a provider who offers it? Is there a reason why you're not choosing this option?

[#5]

I moved my BB and Mobile to Plusnet from BT. The BB was an attractive price and with the discount for mobile users having BB with Plusnet it was also good value. My argument is that for the many people like me with poor signal in the house I need a way to use the mobile. Wifi calling makes that possible. I could have moved back to BT but the BB is more expensive. EE prices are very high as are Vodafone.

I have now moved to Three with 4Gb /unlimited/ Unlimited £13 month and wifi calling.

I would be interested to know what extra costs are involved for M.Os supplying wifi calling.

[#6]

I have just joined Plusnet mobile after about 4 weeks with id mobile which is a carphone warehouse company which uses the 3 network:

Having been away for most of that time I was near Oxford and in Hampshire and the signal was so poor I cancelled the account as I was just unable to use the calls or data.

I realise that mobile signals vary from company to company, area ro area:

I changed to plusnet as my husband is with EE and while we were away he had an acceptable signal.

Hope all goes well with your new account.

[#7]

Thanks. My Wife is on Vodafone. I did wonder if she should move to Three with me but it's probably better to be on different networks so that at least one of us should have a decent signal when we are away. Her signal is slightly better in the house now that she has a phone that handles 4G.

By the way, one of the main reasons I wanted to stay with Plusnet was their customer service. If they at some time introduce wifi calling I will probably move back. The EE network has the widest coverage too.

[#8]

Michael,

Thats a good point about being on a different network even though we are now on the same network !! but it all depends on location and other things of course. 

[#9]

What makes you believe that signal can vary between companies on the same network? Were you not comparing Three with EE when away?

[#10]

Yes, was comparing 3 with EE when away and I went in to a Carphone Warehouse while away to ask if the id signal {3) was "watered down" when 3 were allowing other providers to piggy back their signal.

I asked Plusnet this question before joining them and they said not.

[#11]

I have some understanding of these things and cannot see how a signal can be 'watered down'. They can be less generous with mobile internet speeds if they choose.

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): Full quote of preceding post removed as per Forum rules.

[#12]

@MichaelL

Plusnet Mobile does not have access to the EE 800MHz range so yes you can "water down" a mobile service by not allowing the use of various frequency ranges.

[#13]

Thanks for that. I didn't realise they would divide the spectrum up like that. So that would reduce penetration into buildings for PN compared with EE. In my case, I might even find EE gave me a reasonable signal. 

[#14]

Hi, Thanks for the clarification on that.

At the moment, and its early days yet but my mobile signal with plusnet doesn't vary much from my husbands EE signal, however that may change under various circumstances 

[#15]

For the OP I would certainly test EE before making any moves and worse case signing a new contract to find it is no better.

Ok it will cost around £10, but I would pick up a PAYG EE SIM and test it to see if you notice an improvement. Also if it works it means your phone may be unlocked. Although it is the same network.

I don't know if networks bother with GID1 locking anymore which means they can lock a phone to a subset of one physical network.