Mobile phone networks have advanced hugely in the last decade. The speeds at which data can be downloaded on 4G/5G devices can rival broadband speeds. This increase in speed allows your mobile device to not only make voice calls, but with the use of the device’s camera you can make video calls or even video conference calls without the need for a broadband connection. However, in many modern day offices, hospitals, warehouses, and many other areas the public are still struggling to make basic voice calls.
Building materials used in the UK like concrete and steel can stop the mobile signal from penetrating the building, essentially turning your building into a Faraday cage for mobile signals. The signal passes around the building and cannot easily penetrate to the inside. In smaller buildings it isn’t usually an issue, but in larger buildings and buildings with thick walls, the signal loss can be significant. To overcome this, many companies have opened up their wifi network for staff to utilize WIFI calling.
What is WIFI calling?
WiFi calling is a feature that enables you to make phone calls and send text messages via a wireless internet connection, rather than using your cellular carrier network. You can make WiFi calls via your home internet or WiFi hotspots when you’re on the go, even if you aren’t near a local cell tower.
Does it work?
There are many things to consider when trying to decide if wifi calling is for you.
If you are a business that relies on clear crisp phone calls, then having access to the local cell tower for reliability is a must. With wifi calling so much could go wrong if you are closing a deal or contract with a client.
The wifi signal strength may not be good enough, there is too much latency, or contention on the network. At peak times of the day the network may become overcrowded. For example In hotels, airports, universities, stadiums, and other crowded venues, WiFi connections can lag, resulting in poor voice call quality and dropped calls.
Some devices don’t support WiFi calling. You must have a smartphone or mobile device with built-in WiFi calling capabilities.
Data usage fees could possibly apply in some circumstances. When you aren’t using your home or office internet connection for WiFi calling, you may be subject to access fees or unexpected charges if you lose your WiFi connection and a call defaults to your data plan.
Cellular calling however negates many of these flaws that Wifi calling has. Cellular networks have a larger capacity meaning that they can have more active users at a time than wifi networks. They also have a much larger coverage area which also means that you would have to install less units than you would with a wifi connection. Cellular networks are also more flexible and private than wifi. Most public wifi networks have weak protection which makes it easy for data miners to steal information such as your banking info or account passwords. This can easily be avoided with the use of a vpn however they often slow the users connection and can often be too expensive. Cellular networks however are always automatically encrypted and are much safer to use than wifi networks. It is clear that the most reasonable solution is to use cellular calls as it is the most beneficial and affordable for the users.
