One of the best underrated features of iOS 8 is the addition of Wi-Fi calling, and while carriers like T-Mobile and EE have been quick to jump on Apple’s new technology that makes transition calls from LTE to WiFi seamless, AT&T is dragging its heels and says it doesn’t plan to enable the feature until 2015.
AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega doesn’t see an urgent need to add WiFi calling, reports LightReading, after attending Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference where Ralph said AT&T will only add Wi-Fi calling 2015 as a compliment to VoLTE and 3G voice.
“We’re very focused on making sure it’s a great experience for customers, but we see it as a complement, not a replacement. We feel good about a great nationwide network with unlimited talk and text.”
Tim Cook and T-Mobile CEO John Legere have touted Wi-Fi calling as a great way to save on minutes. De la Vega says AT&T just wants to ensure a great customer experience before launching Wi-Fi calling nationwide, just like it did with VoLTE, so that customers don’t experience frequently dropped calls.
T-Mobile has hyped up its support for Wi-Fi calling as part of its Un-carrier 7.0 launch, telling customers it’s a great way to make sure your calls don’t drop indoors where LTE signals are weak. AT&T’s de la Vega says his company doesn’t have to worry about those issues because of its better cover and unlimited mobile share plans.
Source: Light Reading
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
13 responses to “AT&T won’t support iOS 8’s Wi-Fi calling feature until 2015”
And for those of us for whom AT&T has promised (for years!) to improve cell coverage in our homes and offices? AT&T can posture and run ads, but they need to improve coverage for residential and urban fringe areas where “frequently dropped calls” are the norm. In the meantime, please stop believing your own PR and give us a Wi-Fi option.
and Verizon says….
I’ve got TWO MicroCells right now to cover home and office. However I’m fed up with this attitutude. T-Mobile will do WiFi-calling AND they have global service without gouging me on roaming fees? After my last trip to Canada and having to pay for a tiny amount of data, I’m done with AT&T. My family plan has been with AT&T since the 1990’s but we are MOVING to T-Mobile.
Hope you never leave urban areas. I thought the same way. I left Verizon for T-Mobile. After 3 months of not being able to use my phone outside of urban areas I left for AT&T.
I also left Verizon for T-Mobile. I don’t regret it because my data is now faster and my signal is better. My battery also doesn’t drain as quickly. I get LTE pretty much everywhere I go in Central and SoCal.
once again, at&t misses the boat. this is about being able to make and receive calls where we currently can’t. i travel extensively for work and there are lots of hotels and convention centers that have shitty reception (currently in boston with terrible reception on verizon, and my coworker has only slightly better on at&t). we have great wifi signal but neither of us have had good luck with calls this week. stop trying to dictate what you think is best for your customers when the average ceo doesn’t understand what his customers actually need.
What a big surprise.
Wow! ATT show’s the reason why they are ahead of the wireless business, again! NOT!
“carriers like T-Mobile and EE have been quick to jump on Apple’s new technology”
This isn’t apple’s technology…
They’re specifically talking about the iOS 8 feature, so yes it is.
AT&T’s service here in Austin has gotten worse! I will try to call someone and my phone will say NO SERVICE then it will say searching then find a signal then go back to no service and it is really frustrating and it seems to be happing more and more. One area round the university is really bad as it is very hilly and the signal is almost no existent!
AT&T must get their act together if they want to continue to complete effectively!
“doesn’t see an urgent need to add WiFi calling”
Yeah, because if you switch over to WiFi, AT&T doesn’t get money out of you. Assholes.
“carriers like T-Mobile and EE have been quick to jump on Apple’s new technology”
Uhhh, excuse me but Wifi-Calling is NOT Apple’s technology, it’s the other way around and Apple is finally jumping on the technology.