AT&T Receives FCC Waiver Needed for Wi-Fi Calling, No Launch Date Yet

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, AT&T announced that it had delayed its promised Wi-Fi calling feature as it had not been able to obtain an FCC waiver that would allow it to temporarily forgo offering support options for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Following that announcement, the FCC has now granted AT&T's waiver request, allowing the carrier to proceed with its Wi-Fi calling launch plans.

The waiver is available on the FCC website [PDF] and grants AT&T the right to delay implementing a teletypewriter (TTY) service for the deaf until December 31, 2017. AT&T plans to instead use a newer form of communication, real-time text (RTT) as an alternative, and the waiver will allow it to avoid using a TTY service until its RTT service is fully operational.

In response to the FCC's waiver grant, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs Jim Cicconi gave MacRumors the following statement:

We're grateful the FCC has granted AT&T's waiver request so we can begin providing Wi-Fi calling. At the same time we are left scratching our heads as to why the FCC still seems intent on excusing the behavior of T-Mobile and Sprint, who have been offering these services without a waiver for quite some time. Instead of initiating enforcement action against them, or at least opening an investigation, the agency has effectively invited them to now apply for similar waivers and implied that their prior flaunting of FCC rules will be ignored. This is exactly what we meant when our letter spoke of concerns about asymmetric regulation."

In its original statement on the waiver delay, AT&T called out Sprint and T-Mobile for implementing Wi-Fi calling without obtaining similar permissions from the FCC, a sentiment that is again echoed in the above statement. Both T-Mobile and Sprint have allegedly implemented their Wi-Fi calling features without requesting a waiver for TTY rules.

Though AT&T now has its waiver, the company has not yet provided a timeline on when its subscribers can expect to have access to Wi-Fi calling. Ahead of the waiver fiasco, AT&T made Wi-Fi calling available during the iOS beta testing period, suggesting it is ready to debut in the near future.

(Thanks, Ryan!)

Article Link: AT&T Receives FCC Waiver Needed for Wi-Fi Calling, No Launch Date Yet

 

[LOLobo]

Just stop AT&T. You're not the school yard snitch.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Quit being such a crybaby AT&T.

 

[Markoth]

"We're grateful the FCC has granted AT&T's waiver request so we can begin providing Wi-Fi calling. At the same time we are left scratching our heads as to why the FCC still seems intent on excusing the behavior of T-Mobile and Sprint, who have been offering these services without a waiver for quite some time. Instead of initiating enforcement action against them, or at least opening an investigation, the agency has effectively invited them to now apply for similar waivers and implied that their prior flaunting of FCC rules will be ignored. This is exactly what we meant when our letter spoke of concerns about asymmetric regulation."

Damn good question... Although, I've been using Wi-Fi calling for awhile now. iOS 9.1 seems to prefer Wi-Fi calling now if your phone's cell signal strength is weaker than your phone's Wi-Fi signal strength. Not a bad idea.

 

[tigres]

Keep waiting people, we are not really ready- AT&T

 

[macintologist]

What about if you're on an AT&T MVNO like Consumer Cellular? Will it also be enabled for them?

 

[Palliser]

Translation: "We're still not ready for wifi calling but let us divert your attention to those meanie wireless carriers who beat us to it."

 

[Gasu E.]

Just stop AT&T. You're not the school yard snitch.

I have no love for ATT, but I have to agree. I do not approve of corporate lawbreakers. What's the point of following the rules if the other guys can break them without consequence? If you excuse this behavior, then what other rules do you think these corporations start breaking?

 

[itsthenewdc]

Waiting on a waiver, yet, not ready to pull the trigger once they got a waiver?

 

[frumpy16]

Keep waiting people, we are not really ready- AT&T

Exactly. They're like- "oh, you're done already? We had nine more press releases ready to go about how we're being oppressed by asymmetrical regulation. In conclusion, T-Mobile and Sprint are stupid jerks."

 

[Gasu E.]

Quit being such a crybaby AT&T.

Absolutely puerile! No, I don't mean AT&T.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Classic smoke screen, because they are probably not ready.

They should have just done the same as the others. The FCC would have never even gotten involved.
A waste of time when old technology is proven outdated.

 

[organisum]

delete

 

[4jasontv]

So the problem was that AT&T doesn't have appropriate TTY coverage, and they don't want to implement a new feature while they violate an ADD requirement? What does that have to do with t-mobile and Sprint when they already support TTY?

 

[Xultar]

AT&T SMDH sniTch Wireless!
They weren't ready anyway just wanted to cause mayhem. Their bluff was called and they ain't had nothin.

 

[critter13]

everyone hates us because we are big

 

[Gasu E.]

Waiting on a waiver, yet, not ready to pull the trigger once they got a waiver?

I would be very interested to know what final arrangements are required to launch something like this. You seem to have some idea, based on your comment.

 

[AMCTheaters]

Still better than Verizon's excuse of "we're pretending our service is too good for you to ever need wifi calling."

 

[btrach144]

AT&T: "We're ready for Wi-Fi calling but we want to play by the rules. We're still waiting on FCC approval."
FCC: "Okay, AT&T, your request has been granted."
AT&T: "Crap, that was quick. We're still not ready. How do we buy more time?"

 

[AtheistP3ace]

Great news!!! Hope to use this soon!! Can't blame AT&T honestly for trying to remain accessible but saw some other times they have not held this same standard so who knows. Either way useful feature. Excited to have it.

 

[lkrupp]

Is using a public Wi-Fi connection for phone calls a good idea? What about security and privacy? Personally I wouldn’t use a public Wi-Fi connection to check the time of day, especially if it was ‘free’ with no passcode. Now if I’m on my secure WPA2 home network and my cell connection is crappy then maybe.

 

[kcirtap00]

I've had wifi calling enabled with AT&T since iOS 9 came out. Am I missing something here?

 

[840quadra]

First AT&T needs to stop, or resolve throttling issues with iTunes Radio, Apple Music, and other streaming services, before they can start messing around with this technology.

 

[Nikos]

Really hope this launches soon. Since Voice over LTE launched, it's been pretty much impossible to make a phone call from my apartment because the LTE signal is weak here. I have to disable VoLTE at home so that the phone is forced to 4G during phone calls.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

A better question needs to be asked...

Why does AT&T need permission to offer WiFi calling?
Phone to WiFi connection - already covered
Internet to AT&T - already covered (Really, who among us cares what we send to AT&T, whether it is a complaint letter or a bunch of packets with VOIP information?)
AT&T to PTSN - already covered
AT&T to Cell Network - already covered