Anyone with a smartphone knows that having their settings so Wi-Fi is the default for offloading data is the best way to not go over their mobile service plan monthly maximum.  The questions that many have asked for several years are why not Voice-over-Wi-Fi that is easy to activate and use?  And, why not have seamless integration so when on a call and out of best coverage range the user can continue the conversation on the best network available, i.e., Wi-Fi or cellular?

TMC (News - Alert) Group Editorial Director Erik Linask, at the recent ITEXPO East event put these questions to John Hoadley, Wireless CTO at Taqua, and the good news for both carriers and users is help has arrived from companies like Taqua (News - Alert) and more is on the way.

As Hoadley explained, 2014 was a very important year for VoWi-Fi.  The reasons are, “Two big events happened.  Some of the key carriers in the U.S., T-Mobile and Sprint, launched Voice over Wi-Fi services. And, then Apple embedded Wi-Fi calling client in the iPhone (News - Alert).  So when that happens everyone kind of sits up and in the mobile industry and takes notice of the new technology and what the benefits are and how it can help carriers and subscribers.” 

Big advantages cited for users were that the customer experience, particularly in-building, is improved because smartphones are closer to the radios which means less attenuation of the signal and hence a better quality of connection over Wi-Fi than over cellular.  Plus, this is a win-win since Taqua has integrated Voice-over-Wi-Fi, fully into the carrier experience.  Hoadley says this is very advantageous since, “The user really doesn’t know except for a few little icons on the phone that they are really making a call over Voice-over-Wi-Fi.  He continued saying, unlike things like Skype (News - Alert) where users have a limited calling group, “Integrating with a native dialer is something carriers and subscribers like.” 

However, it is not just the mobile operators who can benefit. Hoadley notes that users typically are in Wi-Fi coverage areas upwards of 60 percent of the time which means there is terrific opportunity for broadband providers like cable companies who have extensive Wi-Fi networks in the U.S. and like the mobile operators are looking to keep as much traffic on their networks for as long as possible.

In short, Voice-over-Wi-Fi has not only become easier, it has become a critical piece of the battle for customers everywhere and all the time.  It is both a big opportunity and a big challenge, and the technology now exists so that users and carriers have options and choices for obtaining quality and inexpensive voice over services for their smartphones.