Rogers, Bell start supporting WiFi calling

BCE Inc. and Roger Communications Inc. have begun supporting calls and texts over WiFi networks with the latest iPhone. "You can call and text wherever you have a Wi-Fi connection in places like basements, condos and tall buildings — places where you may have had trouble getting reception before," Rogers says on its website. Bell says on its website: "Wi-Fi Calling lets you expand your mobile coverage in locations across Canada where you may not have cell reception." WiFi calling is available for Bell mobile customers with plans that include unlimited in-Canada calling, the company says online. Rogers says this feature is available for mobile customers that subscribe to both voice and data plans, but not prepaid customers. Both Rogers and Bell say this feature is available for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, which Apple Inc. released last week. Rogers' website says it also makes this feature available for the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5c and 5s if they are upgraded to an iOS 9 operating system or later. WiFi calling is activated in the phone's settings menu. Bell includes WiFi calling minutes and texts within unlimited calling plans, though regular long-distance charges will apply for international calls, and the service is not available when users are outside of Canada. Rogers says WiFi calling and texting use is deducted from allocations within their plans, and customers travelling internationally can use this feature and avoid standard roaming charges if making calls or texts to Canadian numbers. Making calls outside of Canada to non-Canadian numbers on WiFi will be accommodated within Roam Like Home plans or other travel packages, Rogers says on its site. Rogers says that when outside of Canada, a users' iPhone will default to a WiFi connection in favour of a mobile network, while in Canada it will connect to the mobile network if both kinds of connections are available. Bell spokesman Jason Laszlo said in an email that phones will automatically link to WiFi networks that are available and authenticated only when no mobile connection is detected. Both Bell and Rogers say WiFi calls will not count against mobile data caps but might result in addition charges on the Internet account that is being used for the WiFi access. Rogers says that an hour-long call on WiFi would use about 75 MB of data. Both Rogers' and Bell's websites say calls must start and end within the same WiFi network, and cannot transfer between a WiFi connection and a mobile network. Representatives from both Rogers and Bell said WiFi calling is available for their flagship mobile services and discount brands Fido and Virgin Mobile, respectively. Telus Corp. spokeswoman Donna Ramirez said in an email that the carrier does not broadly support WiFi calling, though she noted a Telus app in beta testing called Extend provides invited customers WiFi calling over smartphones, tablets and laptops anywhere in North America. Troy Crandall, a telecom analyst at 3Macs, said he uses Extend. Based on what he knows about Rogers' and Bell's WiFi calling, he said Telus' Extend is superior from a user's perspective, largely because it does not use up voice minutes. "If you're a potential customer, I can't see this swaying you one way or the other," he said in a phone interview of Bell's and Rogers' support of WiFi calling. "If you're an existing customer, there may be a certain percentage where this actually adds enhanced value. ... Is it going to change the game? I don't really think so." Crandall said instances where a person has access to WiFi but no cell signal are rare, though it occurs occasionally in some buildings. Alex Pavlović, director of technology for research company Nordicity, said in a phone interview that Rogers' and Bell's WiFi calling — a first for mobile carriers in Canada — is "important for number reasons. Obviously, it is giving customers better value, more options. For operators, it's a tool to provide increased customer satisfaction, which is something all mobile operators in Canada and everywhere else need to reduce churn." For Rogers customers, WiFi calling can provide an alternative to paying extra for roaming when travelling abroad, Pavlović added. When asked about the complexity for carriers to make WiFi calling an option, Pavlović said: "They need to do some modifications. It's not just a feature that comes inherent with LTE. They need to provide some configurations." Nonetheless, he said WiFi calling will likely become a common feature among devices and carriers in the future. Dragan Nerandzic, chief technology officer for Ericsson AB's Canadian division, agreed, adding that voice-over-LTE— which he described as a similar technology — is also likely to become more common. "It is certainly a significant development," Nerandzic said in a phone interview of WiFi calling. "The most obvious benefit is cases where the customer is located in areas with poor coverage — in basements, in underground garages." He added that mobile operators can benefit from WiFi calling by being able to offload traffic when networks become congested, for example at sporting events or concerts. Bell and Rogers say certain features are affected by use of WiFi calling, such as 911 and other location-based services. Both say emergency personnel will not be able to identify a caller's location from a 911 call over WiFi. They suggest customers ensure that an emergency address is listed in their phone settings, as that is where responders will go by default if a location cannot be communicated over the phone. — With reporting by Derek Abma at dabma@thewirereport.ca and editing by Shruti Shekar at sshekar@thewirereport.ca

Rogers, Bell start supporting WiFi calling

News | September 29, 2015

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