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Republic Wireless has been doing hybrid wifi / cell calling for some time: https://republicwireless.com/ https://republicwireless.com/ Their unlimited 3G plan

by kqr2 12y ago

Republic Wireless has been doing hybrid wifi / cell calling for some time: https://republicwireless.com/ https://republicwireless.com/ Their unlimited 3G plan is $25. Republic Wireless is owned by Bandwidth.com which also manages Google Voice numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth.com

eli 12y ago
So has T-Mobile. Any sufficiently fast wifi network becomes a mini network tower. It's a great idea.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  To offload to wifi, the wifi doesn't even need to be fast. Voice traffic uses very little bandwidth. The connection simply must have low packet loss and as little latency as possible. When in non-T-mobile coverage areas, I use my Verizon hotspot for wifi calling with my T-Mobile iPhone, even if the hotspot can only provide 2/3G.
  - eli 12y ago
    True, that's what I meant by fast. I think it's only something like 30kbs, but it needs to have low packet loss and low jitter or the call will be garbled.
- Osiris 12y ago
  When I had WiFi calling on T-mobile it still counted toward your minutes, so there was really no advantage to it in terms of billing, only in case of poor cell coverage.
  - eli 12y ago
    Correct, though I think almost all the plans they sell now are unlimited minutes, so the billing is irrelevant
wtallis 12y ago
And Republic announced earlier this week that they're going to be beta-testing basically everything that Google Fi will offer that isn't currently part of Republic's service: more flexible billing for data plans, adding a second cellular provider (almost certainly T-Mobile), a new handset (the Nexus 6 is the most likely candidate), cell-to-WiFi handover. The only thing Google's promising that Republic isn't is the international service. I've been wondering for a long time why Google hasn't just bought Republic Wireless. It's especially puzzling now that Google has made it public that their interests are exactly the same as RW's.
- jmilloy 12y ago
  > The only thing Google's promising that Republic isn't is the international service. Can you comment on tethering? IIRC, my Moto X through Republic doesn't allow tethering.
  - wtallis 12y ago
    It would be really stupid to announce a service with tethering limitations that will almost certainly be illegal by the time the service exits beta testing. The FCC net neutrality regulations will prevent service providers from doing anything to interfere with tethering.
    - mcintyre1994 12y ago
      I hope the EU make the same move. We can get cheap unlimited plans but they'll always limit tethering.
  - mieses 12y ago
    Fi is a metered data service. Republic Wireless is an unlimited data service. Fi makes money on tethering. Republic Wireless loses money on tethering.
    - jmilloy 12y ago
      Thanks. For me, unlimited data for $25 with Republic vs 1GB for $30 with Fi doesn't make a big difference. But being able to tether is a differentiator.

by kqr2 12y ago

eli 12y ago

So has T-Mobile. Any sufficiently fast wifi network becomes a mini network tower. It's a great idea.

toomuchtodo 12y ago
To offload to wifi, the wifi doesn't even need to be fast. Voice traffic uses very little bandwidth. The connection simply must have low packet loss and as little latency as possible. When in non-T-mobile coverage areas, I use my Verizon hotspot for wifi calling with my T-Mobile iPhone, even if the hotspot can only provide 2/3G.
- eli 12y ago
  True, that's what I meant by fast. I think it's only something like 30kbs, but it needs to have low packet loss and low jitter or the call will be garbled.
Osiris 12y ago
When I had WiFi calling on T-mobile it still counted toward your minutes, so there was really no advantage to it in terms of billing, only in case of poor cell coverage.
- eli 12y ago
  Correct, though I think almost all the plans they sell now are unlimited minutes, so the billing is irrelevant

wtallis 12y ago

And Republic announced earlier this week that they're going to be beta-testing basically everything that Google Fi will offer that isn't currently part of Republic's service: more flexible billing for data plans, adding a second cellular provider (almost certainly T-Mobile), a new handset (the Nexus 6 is the most likely candidate), cell-to-WiFi handover. The only thing Google's promising that Republic isn't is the international service. I've been wondering for a long time why Google hasn't just bought Republic Wireless. It's especially puzzling now that Google has made it public that their interests are exactly the same as RW's.

jmilloy 12y ago
> The only thing Google's promising that Republic isn't is the international service. Can you comment on tethering? IIRC, my Moto X through Republic doesn't allow tethering.
- wtallis 12y ago
  It would be really stupid to announce a service with tethering limitations that will almost certainly be illegal by the time the service exits beta testing. The FCC net neutrality regulations will prevent service providers from doing anything to interfere with tethering.
  - mcintyre1994 12y ago
    I hope the EU make the same move. We can get cheap unlimited plans but they'll always limit tethering.
- mieses 12y ago
  Fi is a metered data service. Republic Wireless is an unlimited data service. Fi makes money on tethering. Republic Wireless loses money on tethering.
  - jmilloy 12y ago
    Thanks. For me, unlimited data for $25 with Republic vs 1GB for $30 with Fi doesn't make a big difference. But being able to tether is a differentiator.