Tesco Mobile Bill Pay

gandalfio

Any idea if they are planning on rolling out WiFi calling?

Need to move from Vodafone 65pm to Tesco 45pm, comes with 5g.

Tesco use the 3 network, but my partner doesn't get enough signal in the house with 3 (non 5g plan) to make and receive calls. So would need WiFi calling to be sure I can make and receive calls.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058354774/tesco-mobile-bill-pay

Very unlikely. Three have not shown much support for WiFi calling. Eir launched full WIFI calling in 2017 including texting and roaming, Vodafone launched in 2019 but still don't support texting or roaming. Three did a half-baked launch in 2022, also without texting or roaming, and are still not approved on the Apple site - so perhaps not working properly?

GoMo supports WiFi calling, because it is really just a different brand on the Eir network. Tesco probably don't want the hassle of having to deal with customers walking into their stores trying to get it working on different handset models?

Those monthly plans you quote are crazy. If you are in position to bundle with Eir Fibre, you can get a mobile SIM-only add-on for €9.99pm. If not, you could get GoMo standalone for €14.99pm, and you would have WiFi calling and 5G with both of these plans.

gandalfio

Three offer WiFi calling, my partner has it and she's now able to make and receive calls at home. Whereas before she started using WiFi calling, she had no calls signal.

I need a new phone. No option but to sign up with a provider that offers phones with their plans.

gandalfio

Tesco 45pm is the cheapest of the lots plans that include unlimited calls.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122226490#Comment_122226490

Not sure which phone you are looking at - but monthly bill-pay plans that include phones are generally a complete rip-off vs SIM-only plans. For example, if you get the Apple i-Phone 11 from Tesco on the €45pm plan, you are overpaying by €30pm vs GoMo €14.99pm. Over your 24 month contract this will cost you €720 more than GoMo, and you also have to pay €99.99 up front with Tesco for this phone. You can buy the same phone in Curry's for €519 Sim-free - a saving of more than €300! Most people forget to cut their contract after 24 months, and pay even more. Check the calculations for other phone models, and you will find significant savings for going SIM-only.

GIMP

Look at Vodafone pay as you go, it includes unlimited everything for 30e per month and it includes wifi calling.

gandalfio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227660#Comment_122227660

I already have sim only with them. I need a new phone and don't have money upfront to buy it. Gonna go with Tesco and hope the 5g is enough to get me signal for calls.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122227870#Comment_122227870

5G is not going to be any better than 4G since it relies on an underlying 4G signal to operate in its current form.

If your partner has no signal without WiFi Calling then you’ll have no signal either - and no WiFi calling to fall back on.

If you need a phone but can’t upfront it look at something like Humm credit and then you are free to go with whichever network works best for you.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122228518#Comment_122228518

Agreed. 5G will make no difference to coverage. It's nuts to lock into a contract for 24 months with no WiFi Calling. 3G will probably be switched off during this time, making indoor coverage even worse, and if you replace windows in the house or do any other energy retrofits, indoor coverage will deteriorate even further.

GIMP

I am making an assumption if you live in a 3g only coverage area, when they turn off 3g will 4g over 2100 or 900mhz be the replacement and with the same coverage strength?

gandalfio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122228859#Comment_122228859

I get 5g no problem on my Vodafone sim. And had no problems before I started using WiFi calling. That's why I'm wondering will the tesco 5g work as well as Vodafone 5g.

Called into 3 and Vodafone earlier. They both said it's not the provider who activates WiFi calling, it's down to the handset. So if the handset has the WiFi calling feature, it will work no matter who the provider is. Is this correct? Tesco told me they don't provide WiFi calling.

babelfish1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232073#Comment_122232073

The information that you have been given by 3 & Vodafone is rubbish. WiFi calling requires complex server-side integration by the providers, in addition to inclusion in the feature-set by the handset manufacturers. The providers can also choose to make the service available to specific customers - eg only to Billpay or not to MVNO users. The evidence is that most of the MVNOs don't offer it, and there is no point deluding yourself that WiFi calling is magically going to start working on a Tesco handset, just because the handset manufacturer has included it their feature-set. The implementations also vary between the different networks. Only Eir(Including GoMo) supports full WiFi calling including text messaging and use while roaming, while 3 & Vodafone do not support either of these features. If the services were purely implemented within the handsets, you wouldn't observe these disparities. It is also important that WiFi calling works seamlessly when you are handing over from 4G/5G(VOLTE) to WiFi calling. The problems you describe with Vodafone may relate to these handovers? WiFi calling also requires that the handset manufacturers include the server addresses of each network in their handsets. This is usually guaranteed if you buy the handset from your own provider. It may also be reasonably reliable if you buy another handset of the same brand, even if you didn't buy it from your provider - because manufacturers will probably update the firmware for all their handsets when they launch one model with a provider. However, if your provider has never sold a particular brand of handset, then it is possible that the server addresses are not present it that brand of handset. An example of this is Google Pixel, which does not work with Eir WiFi calling. This suggests that Google have not bothered to include the Eir server address in their firmware.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122232073#Comment_122232073

No. 5G currently relies on 4G to work.

No 4G = No 5G.

If your partner cannot get 4G with Three at home, you will not get 4G or 5G on Tesco.

Best bet - stick with Vodafone or look at what Three have on offer and be reliant on WiFi Calling through them for home use. Or perhaps better if you really want a new phone without the upfront hit, buy the phone through Harvey Norman via Humm and then go get a SIM only plan on a network of choice.