4 ms·

At this point I'd have to say that Wi-Fi calling is a dead feature, putting this particular issue aside. I just don't see the benefit in 2023. It made sense ba

by dangus 4y ago

At this point I'd have to say that Wi-Fi calling is a dead feature, putting this particular issue aside. I just don't see the benefit in 2023. It made sense back when cellular networks were less mature. It also made sense when it could cut down on your wireless bill. But all you have to do is walk out of your house while on a phone call and realize how much the feature is degrading overall reliability. The LTE network on my phone has less downtime than my home Internet. Heck, for some people their LTE network is faster than their home network. I'm struggling to figure out where Wi-Fi calling is helpful. On a cruise ship?

hnburnsy 4y ago
Leaving the country to a place this is not included in your calling plan. We did this recently and would get voice calls via the hotel WiFi, pretty cool.
ceejayoz 4y ago
I have minimal cell signal in my house. It’s a godsend.
- akimball 4y ago
  I think homes with back-plastered walls can be essentially faraday cages, depending on the aggregate content of the plaster. I have very dodgy 4g/5g unless I stand by a certain window, or go outside of the older part of my house, while the new part (metal roof, wallboard) has outdoor-like reception.
  - vel0city 4y ago
    Its not even just the aggregate of the plaster, often the walls practically have chicken wire supporting the plaster in places. But even then, its really not too crazy to find yourself inside any kind of building and not having strong cellular connectivity. Lots of commercial buildings I've been in have had some pretty poor cellular connectivity in any internal room; they've got tons of concrete and plumbing and wiring all throughout it!
readthenotes1 4y ago
any international travel. i'm in the bahamas now and had a nice conversation with someone who won't install whatsapp. 6 months ago I was in Colombia and was able to take care of some banking problems back home. Plus, texts are delivered and sent while you're away. (And...I do know people in the US who are in cell weak spots that wifi calling solves)
- dangus 4y ago
  I find that international roaming is cheaper than ever. Some carriers like T-Mobile (US) and Google Fi include it for free.
  - orangepurple 4y ago
    There is absolutely no point if wifi calling is free and good enough
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - ceejayoz 4y ago
      SMS-based 2FA, if your carrier doesn't support WiFi texting.
Kye 4y ago
You're thinking in terms of on-the-map coverage. Real-world coverage is affected by stuff in the way. I know plenty of people who can just barely get texts on a good day unless they go outside and wave their phone around. Phone calls are out of the question without Wi-Fi.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
s1mon 4y ago
It really depends on where you live or where you commonly use your phone. In the US at least, there are huge areas all over that have little or no cell coverage. In the SF Bay Area, home of Silicon Valley, we have plenty of spots where people live where there's zero coverage. In those places, if you walk too far away from your house (and Wi-Fi) your cell phone is useless. Where I live, I basically agree, but as far as I can tell Wi-Fi calling is much better audio quality.
- vel0city 4y ago
  > as far as I can tell Wi-Fi calling is much better audio quality I don't doubt your experience, carriers can absolutely be stupid/frustrating in how they operate their networks, but there's usually little excuse for this. These days its all the same possible codecs, its the same kind of handshake. There's little excuse to not support wideband codecs in regular phone calls with VoLTE and what not.
orangepurple 4y ago
> I just don't see the benefit in 2023 Travel outside the country on a budget
LightHugger 4y ago
You're struggling to figure out where wifi calling is helpful, really? Maybe a house that doesn't get cell reception inside, especially older ones with thick walls. Or one that doesn't get cell reception outside either. ??? was that difficult?
- UberFly 4y ago
  Exactly. Cell reception at our house is terrible even though we're in the suburbs. When making a call I get next to the AP.
  - bookofjoe 4y ago
    You're not alone: >A Tech Mogul’s Castle Is His Home -- Unless There’s No Cell Signal https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-13-fi-wozniak13-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-13-fi-wozni...
lotsofpulp 4y ago
> But all you have to do is walk out of your house while on a phone call and realize how much the feature is degrading overall reliability. I have been using wifi calling on ATT with iPhones for many years, and I have no complaints.
Falkon1313 4y ago
Mountainous areas have awful cell service. And when you're new to an area, your carrier probably has your entire region colored as 'Excellent' on their coverage map, even though the only places you can actually get a signal is if you stand in the middle of the highway interchange out on the west side of town or up on one of the rooftops downtown. You have to ask around among the locals to find out which carrier _actually_ works in your town so you know which to switch to. Until then, wi-fi is your only comm link unless you can still find an old payphone. And naturally if you're just visiting or passing through, you're not going to want to change carriers every time you stop at a new town.
skykooler 4y ago
I live five miles from the nearest area of cellular coverage due to hilly geography. Wifi calling allows my phone to make calls at home. (Side note: it does mean that I can't receive SMS messages at home, since Verizon doesn't deliver SMSs over wifi calling.)
cityofdelusion 4y ago
Wifi-calling is basically required for rural, semi-rural, hilly, or mountainous areas around here. Huge chunks of the western United States has terrible cellular coverage. I regularly travel to a region with a population density of 0.25 people per sq km, no one is going to erect new towers out there.
cozzyd 4y ago
My lab at work is in the interior of a big building, and has no cell phone service. Hell, they seem to have put some RF shielding on the windows since my office barely has reception...

by dangus 4y ago

hnburnsy 4y ago

Leaving the country to a place this is not included in your calling plan. We did this recently and would get voice calls via the hotel WiFi, pretty cool.

ceejayoz 4y ago

I have minimal cell signal in my house. It’s a godsend.

akimball 4y ago
I think homes with back-plastered walls can be essentially faraday cages, depending on the aggregate content of the plaster. I have very dodgy 4g/5g unless I stand by a certain window, or go outside of the older part of my house, while the new part (metal roof, wallboard) has outdoor-like reception.
- vel0city 4y ago
  Its not even just the aggregate of the plaster, often the walls practically have chicken wire supporting the plaster in places. But even then, its really not too crazy to find yourself inside any kind of building and not having strong cellular connectivity. Lots of commercial buildings I've been in have had some pretty poor cellular connectivity in any internal room; they've got tons of concrete and plumbing and wiring all throughout it!

readthenotes1 4y ago

any international travel. i'm in the bahamas now and had a nice conversation with someone who won't install whatsapp. 6 months ago I was in Colombia and was able to take care of some banking problems back home. Plus, texts are delivered and sent while you're away. (And...I do know people in the US who are in cell weak spots that wifi calling solves)

dangus 4y ago
I find that international roaming is cheaper than ever. Some carriers like T-Mobile (US) and Google Fi include it for free.
- orangepurple 4y ago
  There is absolutely no point if wifi calling is free and good enough
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - ceejayoz 4y ago
    SMS-based 2FA, if your carrier doesn't support WiFi texting.

Kye 4y ago

You're thinking in terms of on-the-map coverage. Real-world coverage is affected by stuff in the way. I know plenty of people who can just barely get texts on a good day unless they go outside and wave their phone around. Phone calls are out of the question without Wi-Fi.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

s1mon 4y ago

It really depends on where you live or where you commonly use your phone. In the US at least, there are huge areas all over that have little or no cell coverage. In the SF Bay Area, home of Silicon Valley, we have plenty of spots where people live where there's zero coverage. In those places, if you walk too far away from your house (and Wi-Fi) your cell phone is useless. Where I live, I basically agree, but as far as I can tell Wi-Fi calling is much better audio quality.

vel0city 4y ago
> as far as I can tell Wi-Fi calling is much better audio quality I don't doubt your experience, carriers can absolutely be stupid/frustrating in how they operate their networks, but there's usually little excuse for this. These days its all the same possible codecs, its the same kind of handshake. There's little excuse to not support wideband codecs in regular phone calls with VoLTE and what not.

orangepurple 4y ago

> I just don't see the benefit in 2023 Travel outside the country on a budget

LightHugger 4y ago

You're struggling to figure out where wifi calling is helpful, really? Maybe a house that doesn't get cell reception inside, especially older ones with thick walls. Or one that doesn't get cell reception outside either. ??? was that difficult?

UberFly 4y ago
Exactly. Cell reception at our house is terrible even though we're in the suburbs. When making a call I get next to the AP.
- bookofjoe 4y ago
  You're not alone: >A Tech Mogul’s Castle Is His Home -- Unless There’s No Cell Signal https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-13-fi-wozniak13-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-13-fi-wozni...

lotsofpulp 4y ago

> But all you have to do is walk out of your house while on a phone call and realize how much the feature is degrading overall reliability. I have been using wifi calling on ATT with iPhones for many years, and I have no complaints.

Falkon1313 4y ago

Mountainous areas have awful cell service. And when you're new to an area, your carrier probably has your entire region colored as 'Excellent' on their coverage map, even though the only places you can actually get a signal is if you stand in the middle of the highway interchange out on the west side of town or up on one of the rooftops downtown. You have to ask around among the locals to find out which carrier _actually_ works in your town so you know which to switch to. Until then, wi-fi is your only comm link unless you can still find an old payphone. And naturally if you're just visiting or passing through, you're not going to want to change carriers every time you stop at a new town.

skykooler 4y ago

I live five miles from the nearest area of cellular coverage due to hilly geography. Wifi calling allows my phone to make calls at home. (Side note: it does mean that I can't receive SMS messages at home, since Verizon doesn't deliver SMSs over wifi calling.)

cityofdelusion 4y ago

Wifi-calling is basically required for rural, semi-rural, hilly, or mountainous areas around here. Huge chunks of the western United States has terrible cellular coverage. I regularly travel to a region with a population density of 0.25 people per sq km, no one is going to erect new towers out there.

cozzyd 4y ago

My lab at work is in the interior of a big building, and has no cell phone service. Hell, they seem to have put some RF shielding on the windows since my office barely has reception...