Volte and WiFi calling

[FunkyJunky]

I understand that Volte supports WiFi as one of the bearers, do you also need to setup WiFi calling separately. The location has very poor EE cellular coverage, so want to understand if the fact that I am on WiFi would work using Volte instead of setting up WiFi calling

[Northerner]

Hi @FunkyJunky 

What device do you have and are you on EE PAYG or pay monthly contract.

They are separate services and WiFi calling works over your home broadband or any UK broadband. 

Thanks 

[James_B]

Hi @FunkyJunky,

Welcome to the EE Community. 🙂

Yes, you'd need to turn on WiFi Calling in your phone's settings to make calls over WiFi. Activating VoLTE only enables calls over the 4G mobile network.

James

[FunkyJunky]

Thanks for the swift response.

I was wondering what the real advantage of VoLTE is, as you would been quite a good signal strength to give to enough 4G data bandwidth to support quality voice, and am guessing would take some of the data bandwidth if you were simultaneously using it for something else.

I am also guessing that the eventual plan is to have all voice traffic over the data bearer (slightly similar to the move to VOIP on traditional landlines, although I know that voice on cellular hasn't been analogue for a long time.

If that is the case, is there a date by which they expect that to happen.

I was wondering why there is WiFi Calling used if VoLTE supports WiFi as well

[bristolian]

VoLTE & VoWiFi both use the same IMS core-network components which support better voice codecs than 2G, meaning you get clearer calls when using either radio bearer - in addition to supporting handovers between them. Otherwise, VoLTE doesn't take any bandwidth from data - you are able to use voice & data simultaneously which naturally uses more resource, but they don't share in the way you imply.

VoLTE generally has better resilience to poor radio conditions than 2G does.

[FunkyJunky]

Thanks for the comprehensive response. Why isn't VoWifi used instead of WiFi calling, if can be used when setting up VoLTE and from what you said use better codecs than WiFi Calling (if I interpret correctly)

Many thanks

Andy

[bristolian]

VoWiFi is shorthand for "Voice over WiFi" and is a different way of referring to WiFi-calling, in the same way as VoLTE is shorthand for "Voice over LTE" - LTE being 4G and thus is the tech underpinning 4G-calling.

The voice codecs available on an individual call are dictated as much by individual device support as what the core network in-between, is capable of. The IMS-Core that both VoWiFi & VoLTE connect to, can support newer codecs compared with 2G, and this is reflected in "HD calling" & "HD+" calls.

WiFi & LTE are simply two alternative radio bearers, that your phone uses as a means of "accessing" the core network. They are equal in the level of audio quality that can be offered.