Unsurprisingly, this “rationing” of base station resources results in less reliable connectivity and explains why load-shedding can have a negative effect on the strength and stability of the mobile signal in your area.
By connecting your device to Wi-Fi and enabling Wi-Fi calling, users can mitigate this “drop” in service and help network service providers better handle capacity when they reduce power to their towers.
It’s important to note that if your Wi-Fi runs off a mobile LTE or 5G router, you might not enjoy the same level of Wi-Fi calling quality as you would with a fibre connection. This is because mobile or wireless networks are also affected by load-shedding.
In addition to this, Wi-Fi calling can also extend battery life because your phone isn’t constantly on the hunt for the best signal. If you’re in an environment with good Wi-Fi, your battery will last longer because it doesn’t have to work so hard to keep you connected.
Wi-Fi calling is a particularly effective solution in areas where cell reception is hard to come by. And not just rural or remote locations. If you have cell reception dead spots in your home, switching to Wi-Fi calling is a great way to boost your signal without having to invest in any additional connectivity tools and technologies. And while Wi-Fi calling wasn’t designed to save customers any money, it can reduce costs by avoiding dropped calls and redials. If you’re in an environment with strong Wi-Fi connectivity, it just makes sense to leverage this connectivity.
We like to think of Wi-Fi calling as a way to maximise your resources so that you can always access the strongest and most reliable signal and enjoy the best call quality. Who wouldn’t want that, right?
• Craig Blignaut is product manager for Wi-Fi and Theo Van Zyl is head of Wireless at Vox
CRAIG BLIGNAUT & THEO VAN ZYL | Bad cell reception? Try Wi-Fi calling
Wi-Fi calling may be like a regular phone call but it delivers superior call quality and reliability when connected to a strong Wi-Fi network
Have you ever spotted “Wi-Fi calling” on your phone and wondered what it does? You’re not alone.
This simple setting is available on most modern smartphones and makes it possible for a user to place and receive calls over a wireless internet connection rather than using a regular cellular network. By doing so, you’re essentially giving your chosen cellular network permission to use your Wi-Fi to boost their network and provide a superior calling experience.
But isn’t that just Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), you ask? While they both allow users to place calls over the internet, the two are quite different. To use VoIP, users have to download a specific stand-alone application or platform. On the other hand, Wi-Fi calling is built into your phone and can be accessed by enabling a setting without you having to use another app.
Once enabled on your device, it will run in the background and make sure that your phone connects to Wi-Fi rather than to a mobile network, whether you’re in a coffee shop or in your home office. Here, it’s important to highlight that if you move out of Wi-Fi range while on a call, the call will drop because the network being used to enable this call is no longer available.
Wi-Fi calling to beat load-shedding woes
South Africans are all too familiar with experiencing disruptions in our mobile signal because of load-shedding. During these scheduled blackouts, cellular networks will reduce the capacity across their base stations to prevent total failure of their services.
Unsurprisingly, this “rationing” of base station resources results in less reliable connectivity and explains why load-shedding can have a negative effect on the strength and stability of the mobile signal in your area.
By connecting your device to Wi-Fi and enabling Wi-Fi calling, users can mitigate this “drop” in service and help network service providers better handle capacity when they reduce power to their towers.
It’s important to note that if your Wi-Fi runs off a mobile LTE or 5G router, you might not enjoy the same level of Wi-Fi calling quality as you would with a fibre connection. This is because mobile or wireless networks are also affected by load-shedding.
In addition to this, Wi-Fi calling can also extend battery life because your phone isn’t constantly on the hunt for the best signal. If you’re in an environment with good Wi-Fi, your battery will last longer because it doesn’t have to work so hard to keep you connected.
Wi-Fi calling is a particularly effective solution in areas where cell reception is hard to come by. And not just rural or remote locations. If you have cell reception dead spots in your home, switching to Wi-Fi calling is a great way to boost your signal without having to invest in any additional connectivity tools and technologies. And while Wi-Fi calling wasn’t designed to save customers any money, it can reduce costs by avoiding dropped calls and redials. If you’re in an environment with strong Wi-Fi connectivity, it just makes sense to leverage this connectivity.
We like to think of Wi-Fi calling as a way to maximise your resources so that you can always access the strongest and most reliable signal and enjoy the best call quality. Who wouldn’t want that, right?
• Craig Blignaut is product manager for Wi-Fi and Theo Van Zyl is head of Wireless at Vox