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T-Mobile US goes gaga for Wi-Fi calling, AT&T to launch in 2015

If Apple wants it, so shall it be

Now that Apple has announced Wi-Fi calling as one of the major new features of the iPhone 6 series, multiple mobile carriers are scrambling to support the tech, with AT&T announcing that it will offer it for the first time starting next year.

T-Mobile in the US and EE in Europe were the two carriers mentioned when Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller talked up Wi-Fi calling at the iPhone 6 launch event on September 9. Both carriers have offered the capability for certain of their handsets for some time now, although this is the first time that the iPhone will support it.

In the wake of the iPhone 6 launch, however, T-Mobile has now doubled down on its support for the tech in a new push that it has dubbed phase 7.0 of its "UnCarrier" marketing blitz, or "Wi-Fi Un-leashed."

At an event on Wednesday, the carrier said that 100 per cent of all new smartphones sold in its retail and online stores will henceforth be Wi-Fi calling and texting capable, and customers on its Simple Choice subscription plans will be able to use the feature at no extra charge.

"The difference between us and the traditional carriers is that they'll do everything they can to make more money off you," bellicose T-Mobile US CEO John Legere said in a statement. "We'll do everything we can to solve your problems, and today, that's about uniting Wi-Fi with our data strong network for unprecedented coverage."

Note, however, that support for Wi-Fi calling doesn't necessarily extend to older smartphones or to unlocked phones that customers bring to T-Mobile US's network. The technology isn't like Skype, where you download an app that lets you place VoIP calls over the mobile data network. Rather, it requires a handset with support for Wi-Fi calling built into the firmware. Phones generally can't be upgraded to support the tech if they didn't ship with it.

But what T-Mobile US customers can do, Legere said, is take advantage of the company's Jump! program, which allows them to exchange their old phone at any time for a new one that supports Wi-Fi calling.

With T-Mobile US's system, calls and text placed over Wi-Fi networks are billed to customers just like ordinary ones. But the carrier said on Wednesday that customers will also be able to place Wi-Fi calls to US numbers from anywhere outside the country, free of charge.

AT&T signs on, with a yawn

T-Mobile US soon won't be alone in offering Wi-Fi calling in America, however; far be it for AT&T, Apple's original carrier partner, to not support the latest iPhone features.

Speaking at the annual Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference in New York City on Friday, AT&T president and CEO Ralph de la Vega said the company would launch Wi-Fi calling next year, but he couldn't resist taking a potshot at T-Mobile US in the process.

"We'll use Wi-Fi calling in 2015, but only as a complement," de la Vega said. "We cover 200 million people. Everybody that buys a mobile share value plan gets unlimited talk and text. So we don't have this burning desire for the need of coverage or for other reason to go aggressively after Wi-Fi. Other operators that may have less coverage or have other needs, may pursue it more aggressively."

It's not known when – or if – Sprint and Verizon, the other two major US carriers, will support the tech.

Like other carriers – including T-Mobile US – AT&T is also working to deploy voice-over-LTE (VoLTE), a technology that aims to reduce congestion by routing voice calls over data-only LTE networks. As carriers continue to build out their mobile networks, VoLTE will likely be preferable to Wi-Fi calling in areas with good coverage, and carriers already offer other solutions – such as femtocells – for areas with poor coverage.

Still, Wi-Fi calling is a worthwhile additional option, and fanbois should be pleased to note that Apple is taking steps to ensure that its latest iPhones will ship with the broadest range of connectivity options possible. Antennagate, anyone? ®

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