When did vzw enable wi fi calling?

[toolman157]

Out of the blue this morning I got a prompt to enable wi fi calling! I hit ok then was prompted to enter address for 911 purposes. Then it enabled wi fi calling just like that! It says it will switch to wi fi calling when network is unavailable which is pretty much all the time since I live in a low signal area. Calls are crystal clear and no fade out whatsoever like I used to get with Google voice. Awesome! Any other v10 on vzw have wi fi calling enabled?

 

[BBSeattle]

It's been a little while now, I had it on my S6 Edge Plus as well and it was released about the middle of last year.

 

[Nate Silver]

Yeah, its been a while. Unfortunately I can't use it because the lines at work won't allow wi-fi calls. Not much good if I can't call the office or they can't call me.

 

[kramer5150]

8-9 months ago I think.

 

[Adam Frix]

Yeah, its been a while. Unfortunately I can't use it because the lines at work won't allow wi-fi calls. Not much good if I can't call the office or they can't call me.

Are you saying that if (a) your employer calls you, and (b) you happen to be connected to VZW's system via standard IP (wifi) instead of cellular, your employer's system won't make the call?

The first thing I would ask you is, how do it know? Because the connection between you and VZW's internal system is just that--internal and a matter only between you and VZW. The outside world knows nothing about that.

So color me confused. When someone calls you, they're calling a number. The calling system has no idea what's happening as the various systems route that call--especially after it hits VZW's systems. That VZW has systems that allow you to hook in via a straight IP connection vs a cellular connection, is meaningless and invisible to the calling party.

Same with you calling them HOW you got inserted into VZW's system is meaningless; VZW routes you, complete with all the required metadata from your account, to the outside world. The outside world then routes the call to your employer, who doesn't know that you were initially inserted into the system via VZW's IP setup.

Now, I can see you sitting at work and their network system not letting your phone connect to VZW's systems for the purposes of making calls over IP. That's completely different.

But you calling them from the outside, when you happen to be connected to your home broadband instead of the cellular network? Sure, that's a valid call for any system to take and not worry about. Them calling out to your VZW phone number? Perfectly valid.

 

[Nate Silver]

Are you saying that if (a) your employer calls you, and (b) you happen to be connected to VZW's system via standard IP (wifi) instead of cellular, your employer's system won't make the call?

The first thing I would ask you is, how do it know? Because the connection between you and VZW's internal system is just that--internal and a matter only between you and VZW. The outside world knows nothing about that.

So color me confused. When someone calls you, they're calling a number. The calling system has no idea what's happening as the various systems route that call--especially after it hits VZW's systems. That VZW has systems that allow you to hook in via a straight IP connection vs a cellular connection, is meaningless and invisible to the calling party.

Same with you calling them HOW you got inserted into VZW's system is meaningless; VZW routes you, complete with all the required metadata from your account, to the outside world. The outside world then routes the call to your employer, who doesn't know that you were initially inserted into the system via VZW's IP setup.

Now, I can see you sitting at work and their network system not letting your phone connect to VZW's systems for the purposes of making calls over IP. That's completely different.

But you calling them from the outside, when you happen to be connected to your home broadband instead of the cellular network? Sure, that's a valid call for any system to take and not worry about. Them calling out to your VZW phone number? Perfectly valid.

I would assume that if they were to call me it would work, but I never tested it. What I do know is that if I call them from home using wi-fi calling, I get a message saying that "this line does not accept wi-fi calls" or "this customer does not accept wi-fi calls", or words to that effect. No idea how the system would be able to tell, but evidently it can.

 

[Adam Frix]

yeah, my guess is that VZW's first attempt at using your home broadband to take load off their cellular network is a miserable failure in some way that's easy to fix.

Either that, or whatever you're getting is coincidental and not at all related to the fact that you're calling from the wifi connection--but you've tested that, right? By turning off wifi calling and using the cellular network?

My home phone--yes, I still have one--is VoIP, and has been for years. I've never had your experience calling anyone--every call goes through. And functionally, that's all your wifi calling is. It's just VoIP. But it's through VZW's VoIP system, which as I say must be broken in a way that everyone else has managed to "fix" or avoid in the first place.

In fact, the message you get is VERY likely to come not from the end point, but from within VZW itself. Somehow, they themselves might have flagged certain area code/exchange combinations--and that's very likely to have been a mistake.

You might call VZW about this. I'm not saying that'll get you anywhere, but still.

 

[Nate Silver]

Thanks, Adam. Yeah, I just tried it again, and the message I get is: "Sorry, the number you have dialed does not accept calls over wi-fi or from certain devices. Please place the call from a device that is connected over the mobile network". And yes, the message comes from Verizon. When I turn off wi-fi calling, it goes through just fine.

 

[Adam Frix]

makes sense. Only VZW knows that it's coming from your cell phone via wifi--really VoIP--calling, and/or what device it's coming from.

This sounds like VZW has a database issue--how is it that they've decided not to put the call through? They've programmed something in, no doubt incorrectly. I doubt they even realize they've done it. I'd be real curious to see what happens if you call customer support and ask them to dial the number from a wifi connected phone.