02-10-2025 12:29 PM - edited 02-10-2025 12:34 PM
I'll be in South Africa for about 2 months. I have access to wifi, so is it possible to use that for free whatsapp calling? Will using wifi enable me to search the web for free? I am on an old plan of £1 per week.
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02-10-2025 04:06 PM
Hey there @pauli.
As @Chris_B has mentioned, WiFi is independent of your service with EE, and if it's available you can use this to connect for services like WhatsApp.
You wouldn't be able to use this when away from the WiFi source though, and we don't offer roaming as standard in South Africa, so if you were looking to use your phone when out and about I'd recommend checking out our roaming pages.
Peter
02-10-2025 01:38 PM - edited 02-10-2025 01:39 PM
@pauli Using Wi-Fi when abroad has nothing to do with EE.
02-10-2025 04:06 PM
Hey there @pauli.
As @Chris_B has mentioned, WiFi is independent of your service with EE, and if it's available you can use this to connect for services like WhatsApp.
You wouldn't be able to use this when away from the WiFi source though, and we don't offer roaming as standard in South Africa, so if you were looking to use your phone when out and about I'd recommend checking out our roaming pages.
Peter
02-10-2025 04:18 PM
@pauli wrote:is it possible to use that for free whatsapp calling?
Yes, but only if the recipient also is on What'sApp.
WiFi wherever you can get it will tend to be more reliable than the mobile network but will only be free if its provider doen't charge for it.
02-10-2025 04:32 PM
WiFi is a connection between a mobile device (tablet, phone or laptop) and a wireless broadband router, this provides the portable device with an internet connection which can be used for whatever you desire.
Roaming means using your phone on foreign mobile networks, which enable mobile data usage, voice calls & text messages.
Costs to use your EE mobile on South African mobile networks are at https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs > South Africa
02-10-2025 08:16 PM
@XRaySpeX wrote:
WiFi wherever you can get it will tend to be more reliable than the mobile network
I'm not sure that's always true. In the UK at least, public WiFi can often be less reliable than using the mobile network. Having to repeatedly reconnect to a new hotspot is a downside, as is the security.
Everything depends on each individual hotspot/router, and usage/traffic levels at the time.
03-10-2025 01:02 PM
@bristolian : "tend to"!