Wifi call on Plusnet Mobile ?

[#1]

Hmm. I just got a flyer through the post from PN advertising their mobile service and I was on the point of deciding to migrate from O2 (when my current contract ends), but the lack of Wifi calling is a showstopper for me. We have poor reception at home which is solved by using Wifi but, probably more importantly, I use it to make calls without paying roaming charges when I'm abroad. Now PN is actively pushing their mobile service to existing customers, is there any update on if/when calls over wifi will be possible?

[#2]

@gco

Plusnet have a policy never to announce anything until it is about to be released. So basically if you need a specific service and it is not currently offered by Plusnet, there is no way to know if it will ever be made available or any timetable for the future.

[#3]

Hmm a bit more. Having done a bit more research I see that wifi calling works in different ways with different networks. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and I use the O2 TU Go app, which works on any phone with Android 4.0 or above. Most of the "true" wifi phone services seem to require quite a restricted range of relatively new phones. So my previous question still stands, but even if wifi calling comes to PN mobile I might still not be able to migrate with my current phone (unless it supports an app-based access mechanism such as those of O2 and Three).

[#4]

The gist of my comment is NOT TO EXPECT it to happen and never to sign up for a service with a vague "we are thinking about it" which is all Plusnet will say.

I use 3 ( I never sign up to a mobile provider who is not the network owner) and their app is great. Used it at a hospital on their wifi and it was superb (a few years ago the app wasn't worth it but now it has a place on my phone). Also works on all their tariffs not just the expensive ones like some networks insist on.

[#5]

The gist of my comment is NOT TO EXPECT it to happen and never to sign up for a service with a vague "we are thinking about it"

Have to agree with the above with the slight modification that it applies to every single company (regardless of product). If it's not available now then it's just vaporware.

If WiFi calling is important to the OP then go with someone who has it currently and it works with your current or soon to be purchased phone.

Edit: if and when PN adds it you can always have a new look at them.

[#6]

I must admit I’ve not ventured into the world of Wifi Calling simply because I can’t afford the price of the phones that are capable of delivering this technology at this moment in time.

So having not actually used Wifi Calling in it’s true sense I could be wrong on my thinking but one thing for sure there seems to be some confusion over exactly what wifi calling is because just a couple of days ago I was reading of a new network that is offering ‘wifi calling’ but reading into their guff it appears they deliver all their calls and text via VoIP via mobile data networks and for me this is not what wifi calling is as this is exactly how Sipgate and other VoIP networks work.

My understanding of Wifi Calling is the ability of making calls over local wifi networks seamlessly without the need of an app as opposed to making wifi calls over a local network with an app much like the 3 networks “Three in Touch” app.

So whatever method let’s hope PN can come up with something like an wifi app at least, but if it’s really important to a user it has to, like others have said, be taken into consideration before joining the network.

[#7]

...a sign of things to come? (See attached)

[#8]

Handsets supporting Wifi calling don't need to be expensive.  My Nexus5x supports it, these can be picked up for a couple of hundred quid.   You certainly don't need to mess around with the hassles and costs of iPhone.

[#9]

Proper wifi calling (as on EE or Three and possibly others by now) does calls and old school SMS too. Find it invaluable. A quick check of the virtual network operators suggests main networks are reluctant to give all the features to virtual operators, even if they're owned by the parent (giffgaff doesn't give you it on O2). Just like Plusnet don't give you BT wifi.

Wifi calling with EE and three works fine on a sim-free iPhone 5c and SE, neither of which were bought as part of a contract for the network concerned. Sometimes you have to update the carrier settings by going in Settings > General > About where it will prompt you if there's a new one.

I have a contract EE SIM which has wifi calling and a three PAYG SIM both of which work with wifi calling.

Be good if it comes to Plusnet but I can understand the parent company may wish to keep some features back to encourage people to pay full price.

[#10]

I just wish there was an official comment on it, rather than wasting my time trying to get it working...

[#11]

The latest incarnation of Wifi Calling is via VoLTE using the 4G network.

Some providers allow this on a small range of handsets supplied by themselves, others seem more flexible.

The previous or current version using an app of some sort uses a VOIP type process over an existing internet connection.

We already know that EE are not extending VoLTE to P/N so you can forget about VoLTE

Will there be an app? Who knows, seems unlikely.

Why - well because if you could get Wifi Calling either by app or VoLTE via a cheaper MVNO like PN then why would you use the main carrier?

EE would be shooting themselves in the foot by giving the advantage to the bargain basement hunters in their various MVNO customer bases.

O2 and TescoMobile / Giffgaff etc - same thing.

[#12]

Not asking about 3rd party apps, but baked in WiFi calling in some phone models (Nexus, iPhone etc). It just calls it wifi calling, so there must be some kind of network agnostic standard it's referring to

[#13]

I am sorry if I did not explain myself correctly.

There is no chance of of VoLTE Wifi calling with PN (simply referred to as Wifi Calling)
EE are not allowing them the relevant frequency - full stop.
Also EE are only providing it to a limited set of EE supplied/branded phones even for their own users.

Therefore the only possible chance of being able to make a call in signal challenged situations would be a VOIP type app. That seems highly unlikely based on the offerings of other MVNOs.

[#14]

Sorry if I've missed the point here but I just joined Plusnet Mobile today. To my surprise it is possible to enable wifi calling on my iPhone (Under settings, mobile data). I was on BT Mobile previously where it was not possible to enable.

Seems to be working fine.

[#15]

Unless anything has changed it still isn’t supported on Plusnet. I can enable it on my phone but it doesn’t actually work. You’ll know if it is working as you will see the word WiFiCall appear at the top of your screen near the clock.