WiFi Calling and Roaming?

[Anonymous]

I'm using an iPhone 6s and just noticed that O2 has made WiFi calling available. I used to have this on EE and found it useful occassionally, particularly as it worked seamlessly.  However, EE stated explicitly that calls from abroad using wifi counted as roaming calls.  Not a problem in EU now but outside EU that could prove expensive. With TuGo, O2 treats calls over wifi as being within the UK regardless of where they are made or received.  

I can't find anything about O2's policy for roaming on WiFi calling.  As I'm travelling to the US soon I wonder if anyone has got an answer to this and if necessary, any possible workarounds, or should I just stick with TuGo while in the US?

[jonsie]

Roaming outside the EU will be chargeable for calls over wifi. TU was specifically designed for customers to be able to use their allowances over wifi in areas of low reception. The fact that it works when roaming is a big advantage.

WiFi calling is using the network whereby its for clarity of calling. Calls are chargeable I'm afraid. 

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Wifi calling won't work outside of the UK so stick to Tugo.
Registering for wifi calling also disables tugo so it's not possible to have both at the same time either.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jonsie for your response.  However, my understanding (certainly with EE) is that you can still make and receive calls over wifi without ANY network reception, eg on the underground.  I appreciate that calls are chargeable (or included if in the UK/EU) but my question was about roaming.  EE seems to prevent the phone connecting through vpn's so calls overseas are still on the roaming rate if connecting via wifi.  Does O2 do the same?

[Anonymous]

Thanks MI5

Can I ask your source for your statement of wifi calling not working outside the UK?  It certainly worked with EE in poor reception areas when I used it overseas. O2 would have to have sophisticated IP filters to prevent use outside the UK.  And you'd have to ask 'why would O2 bother with filtering'?

I certainly agree with Tugo being better when overseas as I can turn off mobile roaming but still use the app and receive calls and messages when in a wifi area.  I can even pop in another network sim.  So long as I have a data connection.

Sadly, I would imagine the TU app's life being limited, now that wifi calling has arrived.

[MI5]

My wifi has wifi calling on her phone and it didn't work when we were in France in the summer.
If Tugo goes, I'll go too as it's all that's keeping me with o2 for my use currently.

[gmarkj]

tu will only fall out of use if/when wifi calling works on every phone.
given that is unlikely, unless o2 decide to ditch tu then it will be here for a while (now i've gone and done it...)

[jonsie]

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@gmarkj wrote:
tu will only fall out of use if/when wifi calling works on every phone.
given that is unlikely, unless o2 decide to ditch tu then it will be here for a while (now i've gone and done it...)

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Two words.....

World Chat 

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine showed me that he could use wi-fi calling abroad simply by enabling a VPN app on his device, then enabling airplane mode and turning wi-fi on.  It truely does work but you need to have a decent VPN provider.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, I’d never heard of O2 World Chat. So they shut it down in November. You’re right, a good indication of O2 trying to monetise travellers after EU taking that income stream. ☹️