Verizon has announced that it will now be rolling out its Wi-Fi Calling starting with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
According to Verizon, the systems upgrade needed for the Wi-Fi calling will begin on December 8 and will be rolled out in phases. Verizon also plans to give the software upgrade for Wi-Fi calling to other android-powered devices not just the ones mentioned above in 2016.
"Verizon customers already enjoy the largest and most reliable wireless network in the United States, and Advanced Calling with Wi-Fi Calling provides an alternative for those who wish to use Wi-Fi in the home, office or while traveling." Read their blog post.
ZDNet reported that there would be no additional monthly cost for the Wi-Fi calling. Calls to US numbers are free of charge but international calls will be billed at international long distance rates.
To activate Wi-Fi Calling on Android, customers must first download and install the latest software update and turn on Advanced Calling from the settings menu. Once Advanced Calling is enabled, customers can activate Wi-Fi Calling. When a customer uses Advanced Calling on our 4G LTE network and travels outside of coverage, the call will seamlessly transfer to a known Wi-Fi hotspot when available.
According to the past report of the Verge, Verizon filed a petition to the FCC to receive the same waiver as AT&T, The waiver will allow Verizon to allow Wi-Fi calling even without the RTT. RTT is the replacement of TTY (teletypewriter) that has been used by those who have a hearing impairment.
Verizon has been already offering Wi-Fi calling on iOS devices through one of its own apps, but this waiver (when granted), will allow the carrier to support the accurately incorporated Wi-Fi calling in iOS 9 and on Android devices. Meaning, your handset will automatically switch over to Wi-Fi when your network connection is weak (or nonexistent) so that you can receive and make a call.
