Three launching 4G and Wifi Calling (VoWifi and VoLTE)

Cork981

It appears Three have started to roll out 4G and wifi calling.

https://community.three.ie/t5/Latest-3-News/All-About-4G-and-Wi-Fi-calling/ba-p/778196#M144

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058260130/three-launching-4g-and-wifi-calling-vowifi-and-volte

It looks like 3 have blocked the use of WiFi calling when roaming. This is one of the major benefits of WiFi calling - to avoid high roaming charges, particularly outside EU. They also make no mention of whether texting is supported (important for 2FA messages), so I suspect that they haven't got it working? The list of supported handsets is very limited. Launching 5 years later than Eir, and they still only offer a half-baked service!

Cork981

They also say that calls with fail if you leave WiFi while on a call.

This is not the case with Eir and Vodafone, both translation seamlessly (1 sec loss) from WiFi calling to 4G calling.

This would be a big problem if you leave your house while on a call.

cena

vodafone started vo wifi this week

Kenny Powers

Was enabled for me today, not working on Xiaomi as yet, not listed as supported either to be fair. Vodafone and Eir both work.

not1but4

Interesting thread on it over on Three's forum https://community.three.ie/t5/Ideas-Board/VoLTE-and-WiFI-Calling/idi-p/771535/page/5#comments

Cork981

It’s starting to look like a very half baked solution compared to what Eir are providing.

It took them 3 years longs than Eir so would have expected a few improvements.

Kenny Powers

After all the delays and planning I expected more and full device support Samsung and iPhone listed at least support all the phone currently in their own store.

Sales rep telling me sense April they are taking their time to make sure they don't make the same mistakes as the other operators 😂

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522227#Comment_119522227

I have been using Eir's WiFi calling service since they launched it in 2017 - 5 years ago! It didn't have all the bells and whistles at the start, such as handover to VOLTE - but roaming & SMS have always worked.

I don't really see the advantage of VOLTE without handover to WiFi because I doubt that there are any locations which have 4G or 5G coverage that don't already have 2G or 3G coverage. Voice will fall back to 2G or 3G, so there is no major advantage to the consumer in having VOLTE alone. If the networks eventually switch off 2G, then VOLTE will be important, but I suspect that is some time off, because of the number of embedded IOT devices, cars, alarms etc that have 2G only.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119521753#Comment_119521753

That thread is hilarious! They must be geo-blocking either on IP address or (last known) roaming network. They can't deny both and yet admit that they are geo-blocking the service. This could be particularly important for customers in Ireland who are near the border with Northern Ireland.

jdon72

Anyone know if this also applies for the mvnos under three like tesco and 48?

Micky 32

Interestingly i was in Wales a month ago and wifi calling worked on the hotel wifi. I’m with Vodafone that’s supposed to be geo locked.

dmcg90

Gonna be a while yet until Three Ireland support iPhones with Wifi calling. How is this so hard given for most other networks, it'll work on a range of phones?

Cork981

Yeah it’s ridiculous how long it’s taken to implement compared to Eir and Vodafone.

It was supposed to launch late 2022 now saying early 2023.

Really need Wi-Fi calling before I move my primary number to 3 due to poor indoor coverage at home.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120157221#Comment_120157221

Not making excuses - but the operators need to co-operate with different handset vendors to get their WiFi calling server settings embedded in the handset firmware. This differs from most other operator settings for mobile services, which are carried in the SIM card. Eir probably had a head-start by launching back in 2017, and Vodafone in 2019, although Vodafone's service still lacks SMS, and doesn't work when roaming (probably a business decision by them to limit losses of roaming revenue). Three probably weren't able to launch earlier because of too much incompatible legacy equipment in their network, and they probably couldn't keep the handset vendors on board if they didn't have the service working in their network.

There is also likely to be a different business driver for the different networks. Eir had the greatest incentive to launch WiFi calling because it fits well with their Fibre Broadband home and business bundles. Three probably don't like admitting that fibre networks provide better indoor coverage, and they like to pretend that mobile can do everything on its own. Vodafone are likely somewhere in between.

GIMP

I now have 5g access but no wifi calling or volte access on Xiaomi handset

PH0NER

Coming back to this old thread to moan about how bad Three WiFi Calling still is. It only works whilst in Ireland, though I have found that disabling location services for WiFi Calling and turning on a VPN connected to Dublin does the trick. There's also no SMS support. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Three to enable simple features and functionality.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038321#Comment_122038321

Three might have made a business decision not to destroy roaming revenue for their branches in other countries? Vodafone also don't support WiFi calling while roaming - perhaps for the same reason?. Eir (including their GoMo brand) are the only network in Ireland to support WiFi calling when roaming, and they also support SMS over WiFi calling. Perhaps it is time for you to change to a network that fully supports WiFi calling?

PH0NER

I would switch if Eir or GoMo supported eSIM. I have a US model iPhone with no physical SIM slot.

roadrunnermick

Hi all

Any ideas how to enable wifi calling on a P30 pro with three Ireland

Many thanks

Michael

PH0NER

Since updating to iOS 18 Beta, I’m now able to send and receive SMS via WiFi Calling on Three. I confirmed this by toggling airplane mode and messaging. No MMS, but this is a step in the right direction!

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122250039#Comment_122250039

That's interesting. Are you certain that you are able to receive "native" SMS, and not just RCS? Most person-to-person texting is already on RCS, which is already possible over WiFi without WiFi Calling, whereas most 2FA and B2C texts from businesses are still native SMS. Have you tried getting a 2FA message over WiFi Calling?

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122250130#Comment_122250130

Yep, I’m sure. As far as I can tell, RCS still is not active on iPhone yet. I first noticed this because an An Post notification delivered while my phone was in airplane mode.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122251453#Comment_122251453

Apple iMessage is similar to RCS, in that it works over WiFi as well as mobile. However it only works within the Apple walled garden. Apple are supposed to be modifying it, so that it will work properly with RCS, so that you can interwork with Android. If you are able to send text messages to other iPhones, they could be going over iMessage? If you can send text messages to Android phones over WiFi Calling, then Three have definitely got text messaging working. Eir have had this since they launched in 2017, but Vodafone still don't have text messaging working. While person-to-person text messaging is in decline, Business to consumer text messaging is still very important - for 2FA messages etc. It will be interesting to see if Apple now list Three as having WiFi Calling - the Apple site currently only lists Eir and Vodafone in Ireland as supporting WiFi Calling.

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252143#Comment_122252143

I’ve had WiFi Calling on Three for at least a year now. The Apple website also only lists Vodafone for eSIM, but I’ve had a Three eSIM for a while now too.

I understand the difference between SMS, RCS, and iMessage. I specifically tested SMS messages between an Android phone on GoMo while my iPhone on Three was in airplane mode and connected to WiFi calling. That is how I was able to determine I can send and receive SMS, but cannot send or receive MMS over WiFi.

I also tested logging into revenue.ie and was able to receive the 2FA SMS code while my iPhone was in airplane mode and on WiFi!

Looking good so far. Now, if only Three would allow WiFi Calling to activate while outside of Ireland.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252494#Comment_122252494

That's good if they finally have SMS working properly. You clearly understand the different scenarios.

Three's issue with not allowing use while roaming is probably a business decision rather than a technical failure like their problem with SMS. Since they operate in other markets, they may not want to trash their own roaming revenues. None of the UK networks allow WiFi calling when roaming, and most of the major business policies are probably determined on the "mainland". The local Three office in Ireland is unlikely to be allowed to deviate from policy in UK. Eir likely has more autonomy, and they don't have to worry about roaming losses abroad, hence they have allowed use abroad from the start, as do the US networks such as ATT & T-Mobile.

Glaceon

Should be able to verify it by going to Settings > General > About and tapping twice on Network Provider. It will change to IMS Status and show what services are enabled. Vodafone only shows Voice, no SMS (as we know).

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252565#Comment_122252565

Yep, both my US and IE SIMs have Voice & SMS now!

Glaceon

Here’s Vodafone for comparison. So they now have the worst WiFi calling implementation of all three networks.

PH0NER

It’s so strange Vodafone isn’t faster to implement things. Being the big global brand that they are, I expect more.

Ah-Watch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252890#Comment_122252890

I can't get Wifi calling on either of the esims I have with Three and I've logged multiple tickets with them without any success. Enabling wifi calling has been the least hassle on Eir by far. Vodafone not so bad but 3 drive me nuts with it and it's been how long at this stage? Eir have improved dramatically in recent years but their roaming packages just don't stack up vs Vodafone or 3 which is what stops me from switching to them from Vodafone.

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122255641#Comment_122255641

Which Vodafone plan are you on?

I’d switch to GoMo or Eir if they ever support eSIM. It’s crazy they still don’t.

Ah-Watch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122256274#Comment_122256274

Red Max simo (50GB) with the older Red Roaming rate of 2.99. I've an iPhone 15 from US so no sim tray either so definitely limits me to Vodafone or 3

gandalfio

So overall, who's the best network for general coverage and WiFi calling these days? Eir?

babelfish1990

WiFi calling needs the handset vendor to have the IMS server address of each network in their firmware. Eir launched WiFi calling in 2017 so probably have the longest established firmware settings with vendors. Eir is also the only Irish operator to allow WiFi calling when roaming, saving a fortune on roaming charges outside of EU. They also have been expanding their rollout very aggressively with 5G. Where I live, eir has infilled with local fibre-fed 5G monopoles which are nearer than either of the other networks, and this is probably replicated across the country. You should always check local coverage, as all networks can vary at a local level. However, it not so important at home, if you have WiFi Calling. The ComReg maps are worth checking, although not very up-to-date.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122257822#Comment_122257822

I find Eir's 4G and 5G is the most consistent of the three operators. The speedtest figures won't blow you away but it'll work. Rarely see 3G anymore and very rarely have a call drop out. They've done a huge amount of work in the last 2 years - their network before that was dreadful, calls would often be garbled and regularly drop altogether when on the move. Now they're throwing up monopoles everywhere, especially rural areas as their own OpenEir and the government's NBI fibre network expands.

Three - you'll get a speedtest of 1.4Gbps on 5G and then you step inside a building down the road and you've 4G but practically zero data connectivity. Still a few areas with 3G only and I often find data unusable on 3G regardless of how good the signal. Quite a few areas I'm in where calls are almost guaranteed to drop as you pass through. However they are still very much building out their network and, like Eir, seem to be following fibre rollouts with monopoles so I would expect in time their network will continue to get better and if they can get Eir's stability with their best-case headline speeds they're onto a winner.

Vodafone - I would have said they were the most consistent up until about 3 years ago. Sure, they had lots of areas still stuck on 3G but their 3G was often still fast enough to not notice. Call quality was perfect and rarely a dropped call. Now as they turn 3G off it's like being back on Meteor in the early 2000's with EDGE more and more common (effectively unusable data), impossible to maintain a call without dropping when on the move anymore, and 5G practically non-existent. They don't appear to be building out many new sites, don't seem to be into using monopoles at all, and seem very slow to refarm ex-3G frequencies over to 4G.

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122256510#Comment_122256510

Same here for the U.S. iPhone 15. This year, I think I’ll get the European model if they still have a SIM slot. I want to be able to try out other Irish networks. As far as I can tell, only 3, Lyca, and Vodafone have eSIM. Even if all carriers had eSIM, only GomMo, Eir, 3, and Vodafone have WiFi Calling.

I hope when Sky finally launches mobile service, they’ll have eSIM and WiFi Calling.

Glaceon

I got a prepay 3 SIM today for some testing and it doesn't let me enable Wi-Fi calling. The option is there but it tells me to contact 3. Is it only supported on billpay plans? iPhone 13 on the latest iOS 18 beta.

Ah-Watch

It should be enabled by default but I've had very limited success getting it enabled on prepaid sims. I have an old 3 Hero sim that it works on but my new work phone won't activate - iOS 17. They've logged tickets and said it's resolved but it doesn't work and I just gave up.

butwhynot

I had the same problem, it let me enable it over 4G, not over Wifi for whatever reason, no issues since.

Cork981

SMS over wifi-calling is working flawlessly on Three now after updating to iOS18.

You can test this by turning on airplane mode then enabling wifi. You should then be able to send and receive SMS with no cellular connection.

DopeTech

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122630466#Comment_122630466

Working for me on Sky Mobile and on Three. Nice to finally have sms too.

DECEiFER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122631018#Comment_122631018

I just tested WiFi calling on my Pixel 7 at work on Sky Mobile. I had to download the Pixel IMS app to enable it, as for some reason Google seems to restrict features like 5G, etc., to certain PLMN profiles - such as Three, Eir (inc. GoMo, which uses the same PLMN as Eir), and Vodafone. Sky doesn't use the same PLMN as Vodafone, but An Post Mobile does. No other PLMNs in Ireland are enabled on Google devices.

Anyway - no such luck with the WiFi call. I just get the message to enable my radio or connect to a wireless network in the phone app. I'll try later on my home network, as at work the router may not be allowing traffic through the required ports. I'm not sure, though. So it could be that even enabling the feature on my Pixel does not result in it actually working. I'll also test it in my old OnePlus 6T, as I know the toggles for VoLTE and WiFi Calling are showing on that phone. If it's a case of not working with my Pixel, I'll probably go back to GoMo, as I'm still in my cooling-off period with Sky. And with GoMo using the same PLMN as Eir proper, I can get 5G on my Pixel. I just found Eir's reliability to be spotty on routes I regularly travel with regards to dropping my online radio connections - namely some spots in Castletroy in Limerick, the N18 out of Limerick, and even when I go to Cork and approach via the M8 at Dunkettle and driving the South Ring after the tunnel, which is why I sought to switch to 48 at first and then to An Post Mobile and now Sky.

Does SMS work over WiFi, DopeTech, or just calls?

Glaceon

I contacted Three via their live chat and they enabled Wi-Fi calling on the prepay SIM for me. It works but only for voice, no SMS. So it's like Vodafone.

Edit: I changed over to an eSIM and it broke entirely, no VoLTE either. Went back on their live chat and the first guy hadn't a clue, told me to reset network settings. Tried a second guy and he resolved it with a couple of reboots. Now showing Voice & SMS in the IMS status too.

EryykTV

I wonder if there is a reason why Vodafone doesn't implement SMS via Wi-Fi calling? I understand the argument where they disable it abroad as they can't milk you with roaming charges.