Verizon Wi-Fi Calling Not Coming Until Mid-2015

Verizon is the largest carrier in the U.S. and it does not support Wi-Fi calling on its network even though T-Mobile, which is the fourth largest carrier, has support for this feature. It would be unfair to assume that since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have support for Wi-Fi calling Verizon would some how hurry up and add this functionality. Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said that the company has built its network in a way that subscribers never need to use Wi-Fi to complete their call, which is why this feature is not a priority for them.

That doesn’t mean Verizon won’t ever support Wi-Fi calling. The carrier does have plans to add this feature to its network but don’t think its coming anytime soon. Shammo says that Wi-Fi calling support will be added sometime in mid-2015. Before it does that Verizon will be doing some “technological work” on its network.

Shammo adds that Verizon built its voice platform “so extensively that there was never a need to us to tell our customers, ‘Oh, our network is not good enough so you need to go on Wi-Fi to complete your call.” Wi-Fi calling pretty much does what the name suggests. It takes the call over to the wireless network in areas where reception is not so good.

Verizon and AT&T have both decided to wait until 2015 before they add Wi-Fi calling. On the other hand Sprint is slowly bringing it to its smartphones and T-Mobile has already been offering Wi-Fi calling to its subscribers for quite some time now.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Verizon, Wi-Fi Calling