Wi-Fi Calling Now Available for AT&T Users

[FreeState]

Isn't Apple routing those calls (like iMessages)? So Apple is basically setting up an ad hoc peer to peer connection. Which is different than what I imagine the cell service providers are doing which is actually receiving your call and patching it into the nationwide phone service. So you can reach grandma on her old rotary phone or your favorite techno dweeb who is calling from behind seven proxies.

The phone company routes them not Apple.

 

[techalex]

But I can't use Wi-Fi calling outside of the U.S.

For that you need an app like "Bria" or "Softphone", then you open an account, let's say at voip.ms, add some fund, configure your app, and you are ready to make phone calls from all over the world using WiFI at the domestic rate, less than one cent per minute.

I do that all the time when I travel oversea.

 

[Mr Buckets]

I have the same plan, it activated just fine. I believe the "HD Voice" is the voice and data option in the cellular LTE areas of settings.

there is no charge for hd voice

Thank you!

Oh yeah, I have one of those too. Hmmm I wonder what we do about those?

I sold mine on Amazon for about $200 (the newer, black M-Cell) about a month ago

 

[Bacco]

Just used AT&T Wi-Fi calling to make a call to a landline. The quality sounded on par with FaceTime Audio (i.e. better than traditional cellular).

Anyone care to travel across the Canada or Mexico border and see what happens when you try to place a Wi-Fi call? I know AT&T says it won't work. I wonder if connecting to a VPN in the U.S. would circumvent Wi-Fi calling not working outside the U.S. and its territories?

I'm curious about using a VPN as well. Not sure if you'd be successful though.

 

[phpmaven]

I'm excited because we get calls on other devices and not just regular wifi calling like you had.
i dont even need my phone to be on at all. and i can still make a regular wifi to cellular call on my watch

How does that work if your phone is turned off?

 

[CoZmicShReddeR]

Just curious what port does the Wi-Fi calling require some work places and businesses nearly block all their ports.

 

[sputnikv]

Does anyone know if calls over Wifi count towards my minutes on At&t?

They do, which is asinine.

 

[2298754]

Works great for me!

 

[fmalloy]

It's pretty sad folks are getting excited about a service that uses YOUR wi-fi bandwidth and YOUR talk minutes because their network has lousy coverage, and can't penetrate buildings very well.

Hey, I'm paying you monthly service so you can use my high-speed internet (which I'm also paying for) to make phone calls! Thank you AT&T!

 

[rigormortis]

How does that work if your phone is turned off?

it works very nicely, thank you for asking.

 

[gsmornot]

charging long distance fees when using a service that puts 0 load on their networks is criminal as does the reoccurring hd-voice fee.

WiFi calling is a replacement for the wireless connection to a tower. The WiFi call and the radio call through the tower still meet at the same place to complete the connection and all (most) of the backend hardware is shared. If you would have paid for the call wireless then using WiFi does not make it magically do something different to happen, its just an option in the event your radio signal is low.

 

[asleep]

Up and running in Houston!

 

[Che Castro]

After turning wifi calling on , text messages on my iPad no longer works
Non iMessages

Anybody else ?

Can somebody try this see if still works for you

 

[CIA]

So now I get to pay AT&T & Comcast to use my own network and the public internet to route my calls. All to make up for AT&T's crummy service coverage?

Where do I sign up?

 

[tigres]

It says it requires AT&T HD Voice which requires both the caller and receiver to have AT&T HD Voice. This means, you cannot use this feature to call outside of AT&T.

If this is indeed the case (which I have no reason to doubt your statement), than this is exactly as I suspected from Ralph and company. They found a way to F'k everyone anyway. I don't have HD voice in my area (testing T-mobile currently btw), so I will have to keep my microcell anyway w/ATT if I choose to keep them.

ATT just loves to push the envelope on you can "IF"...

 

[RickMorty]

I have a iPhone 5s, running 9.0.2, but the option doesn't even show up in Settings / Phone
Any ideas?

You may need a new SIM card.

 

[gsmornot]

It's pretty sad folks are getting excited about a service that uses YOUR wi-fi bandwidth and YOUR talk minutes because their network has lousy coverage, and can't penetrate buildings very well.

Hey, I'm paying you monthly service so you can use my high-speed internet (which I'm also paying for) to make phone calls! Thank you AT&T!

No, its an optional service. You have a choice of using bandwidth at home or not but have you looked at the amount this service uses? In a month I bet you will talk less bandwidth than you use watching a decent quality YouTube video. The usage is very low. Businesses have for the most part moved to all IP services in some way or another and the call capacity is much higher than you might suspect. So, true you're using your bandwidth but its very little and optional. It would be nice to have a full radio signal everywhere all the time but we all know there are areas that still need some work so until then, we have an option.

 

[cjc2104]

Manhattan AT&T users rejoice! There is hope, sort of... haha

Sound quality is great so far

 

[RickMorty]

Folks. Your SIM card's ICCID needs to have 27 or 28 as 9th/10th digits. Then it will work with 5/5S/6/6S.

 

[gsmornot]

So now I get to pay AT&T & Comcast to use my own network and the public internet to route my calls. All to make up for AT&T's crummy service coverage?

Where do I sign up?

Have you tried the service? It's nice. I can't tell you that you should not have better coverage, you should, but this does give you an option. I have been using it here and it works well.

 

[CEmajr]

And then there was 1

Verizon

 

[2298754]

So now I get to pay AT&T & Comcast to use my own network and the public internet to route my calls. All to make up for AT&T's crummy service coverage?

Where do I sign up?

Why is it that when TMobile launched WiFi calling, everyone was hailing it as the best thing since sliced bread, but it's suddenly a different tune when AT&T launches it?

A major point that needs to be raised is that over 100 million customers are just fine and dandy on AT&T's network without the need for wifi calling.

If TMobile didn't have wifi calling, a significant portion of their subscribers would be screwed due to their shoddy coverage.

 

[avanpelt]

It says it requires AT&T HD Voice which requires both the caller and receiver to have AT&T HD Voice. This means, you cannot use this feature to call outside of AT&T.

This is 100% incorrect. I just used AT&T Wi-Fi calling to call a landline and the call quality was excellent -- on par with FaceTime Audio.

 

[fmalloy]

Just curious what port does the Wi-Fi calling require some work places and businesses nearly block all their ports.

This is a really good question.

I enabled it a while ago but don't see the "AT&T Wi-Fi" status, then I realized I am at work. We cannot access personal Mail because the port is blocked, and now this likely isn't working for the same reason.

So much for getting phone coverage at work deep inside a building. Sucks.

 

[gsmornot]

AT&T has flipped the switch on Wi-Fi calling, making it available to customers with eligible plans that are running iOS 9. MacRumors has received tips from customers who were able to activate Wi-Fi calling and we were able to activate the feature on our own iPhones. A number of readers in our forums are also having success activating Wi-Fi calling.

Wi-Fi calling is a feature that lets calls be placed over a wireless connection when cellular connectivity is poor, functioning much like an AT&T M-Cell does now. It's similar to Apple's own FaceTime Audio feature, which also routes calls over a Wi-Fi connection.

AT&T customers can turn on Wi-Fi calling by going to the Phone section of the Settings app and toggling on the Wi-Fi calling feature. From there, there are a set of steps to walk through, including entering an emergency 911 address. Wi-Fi calling is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus running iOS 9.

Customers who want to use Wi-Fi calling need to have AT&T HD voice features enabled, along with an Internet connection. Wi-Fi calling can be used for voice calls within the United States, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands at no charge. Long distance global voice calls will be charged standard long distance rates.

Once the setup process is complete, customers are receiving notifications letting them know the Wi-Fi calling feature will be available after a short activation period.

AT&T promised to launch Wi-Fi calling alongside iOS 9, but last week announced the feature was delayed due to its inability to get an FCC waiver that would temporarily allow the carrier to forgo offering support options for deaf and hard-of-hearing customers. On Tuesday of this week, AT&T finally received the waiver that it needed to move forward with Wi-Fi calling.

Article Link: Wi-Fi Calling Now Available for AT&T Users

I don't think you need HDVoice for this to work. You will need access to VoLTE for proper hand-off but HDVoice is just a service and it too relies on VoLTE to work but its a wide-band audio format and has nothing to do with transmission. VoLTE on the other hand is a technology that describes in a short sentence the use of LTE and Voice on a shared data connection.