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
