(Image Credit: EE)
EE, the UK’s largest mobile network operator, has launched Wi‑Fi Calling to allow customers to make calls and send texts when cellular coverage is poor or unavailable. The feature is initially available to owners of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Lumia 640 and will be rolled out to more than five million EE customers by the summer.
Research commissioned by EE and conducted by ICM in March 2015 found that nearly one in ten people have at least one room in their home with no mobile signal. That number rises to 15 percent for those living in rural and semi‑rural areas.
Mobile coverage is increasingly important to homebuyers and renters alike. Simon Gerrard, President of the National Association of Estate Agents, noted that mobile signal is a factor buyers increasingly consider when choosing a property. He said that solutions like Wi‑Fi Calling can help sellers avoid losing value due to poor mobile coverage.
Some rival operators already offer similar functionality via separate apps—Three’s InTouch and O2’s Tu Go, for example—but EE’s implementation works without installing an additional application. Calls and texts are placed and sent using the phone’s native dialer and messaging interface, making the experience seamless for users.
Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: “Losing coverage at home is a major frustration, and WiFi Calling will make a real difference to millions of customers across the UK, from basement flats in London to the most rural homes in the country.” He added that customers want reliable calling and texting without needing to think about which app to use or whether their contacts have the same third‑party service.
When enabled in the phone’s settings, a compatible handset will automatically select the best available connection—cellular or Wi‑Fi—to handle calls and texts. Full handover between networks (for example, switching mid‑call from outdoor cellular coverage to indoor Wi‑Fi) is not available immediately but is planned for a future update, which will allow uninterrupted calls when moving between coverage zones.
Dave Fraser, CEO of Devicescape, commented that EE’s Wi‑Fi Calling rollout reflects a broader industry trend toward integrating Wi‑Fi and cellular services into a unified connectivity experience. He agreed with Swantee that the loss of mobile coverage at home is a significant issue for users and noted the problem extends beyond voice and SMS to broader data needs and to locations beyond the home or office.
The arrival of built‑in Wi‑Fi Calling on mainstream handsets marks a step toward more reliable everyday connectivity, particularly for customers in buildings or areas with weak cellular signal. As operators continue to blend Wi‑Fi and mobile networks, customers can expect more consistent service without needing extra apps or complicated setup.
Do you think more mobile network operators should offer built‑in Wi‑Fi calling and SMS? Let us know in the comments.