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

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.

pfftdetail

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.