A Question Of Wifi Calling

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Rickles

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#320301 29-Jul-2025 12:20

I notice a number of new phones being touted as having Wifi Calling ability.

In the event of using Wifi Calling, say whilst overseas with Roaming turned off, does the subsequent use of the phone cost anything, viz. free similar to WhatsApp, or does the usage still count against whatever plan one may subscribe to at home?

I can't see the Telco's giving this a free-pass 😬

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#3398008 29-Jul-2025 12:26

Spark block Wi-Fi calling overseas

Think of Wi-Fi calling as your handset is attached to a standard cell tower in New Zealand and billing is the same as this

Asteros

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#3398009 29-Jul-2025 12:27

Yes it is confusing. It means using your calling minutes on your NZ pay monthly or prepay number but routing it over wifi and not the 4g or 5g cellular network. Useful if you are in a location that doesn't have cell reception.

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#3398012 29-Jul-2025 12:29

Asteros:

Yes it is confusing. It means using your calling minutes on your NZ pay monthly or prepay number but routing it over wifi and not the 4g or 5g cellular network. Useful if you are in a location that doesn't have cell reception.

How is it confusing?

wellygary

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#3398013 29-Jul-2025 12:29

The second,

When on a wifi network the phone will behave as if in its home country, regular calling rates apply -

So if you are overseas and want to call people in NZ its great, but not so great to call those in the host country...

Most of the T+C across operators are he same, but here are 2Degrees

https://www.2degrees.nz/help/mobile-help/calling-features/wifi-calling?

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#3398015 29-Jul-2025 12:31

Wi-Fi calling is a handset / telco feature nothing like WhatsApp / messenger etc as this requires an App to be installed

Wi-Fi calling also handles SMS and MMS / PXT so it is not just calling

Rickles

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#3398019 29-Jul-2025 12:33

Thanks for answers, appreciated.

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Linux

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#3398037 29-Jul-2025 13:43

FYI Wi-Fi calling launched in New Zealand on 2degrees in 2017 so it is not a new feature / service

If you want no roaming charges make sure handset is in flight mode and then enable Wi-Fi

Rickles

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#3398044 29-Jul-2025 13:51

Yep, all good and now understand.

Ideal for Oz on my plan with free calling to/from both countries <s>.

Asteros

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#3398045 29-Jul-2025 13:59

What phone do you currently use? Capabilities are model specific and can depend on which country they were bought.

nztim

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#3398233 30-Jul-2025 11:50

Just be aware, a lot of hotels/free wifi/etc, block IPSEC protocols and therefore (UDP 500/4500, ESP) so Wifi Calling doesn't work

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

pdh

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#3398253 30-Jul-2025 13:19

Also be aware that Spark/Skinny are less developed on WiFi calling than One/Vodafone.

I'd been using my Note10+ on WiFi calling with Vodafone for years - but switching to Skinny last month, I found my 5 year-old model unsupported.
Spark can't be bothered to do the software to support it.
Pain in the fundament.

Note that when I started using WiFi Calling on Vodafone, the phone was less than 3 years old.
So I conclude that Spark came late to the party...

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SpartanVXL

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#3398271 30-Jul-2025 13:51

VPN also doesn’t work unless you have a custom OS, the ports are treated as critical and bypass any active tunnel.

If you have an iPhone set your nz sim to manual network carrier and select your provider, it will work while in NZ but will fail to roam while overseas (trying to find nz carrier that doesn’t exist overseas). You can then use a second esim for data or wifi and wifi calling will still work.

muppet

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#3398389 30-Jul-2025 16:04

I take a travel router with me when I go places, it has a VPN back to home (so we can watch Sky Sport blah blah without Geo restrictions)

Would Wifi calling work via this, or are they doing something fancier for their GeoLocation blocking?

Rickles

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#3425287 16-Oct-2025 09:26

New questions: Looking at a wifi handset for office desk that can Bluetooth to the mobile ... Yealand and Grandstream seem most prominent.

However, are there similar phones that can also install an App, e.g. Whats'App, Messenger, and thus operate as if a 'landline'?

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#3425289 16-Oct-2025 09:31

@Rickles That question is not related to Wi-Fi calling which is a mobile handset / mobile carrier feature

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