Select Sprint Apple models inline for software update to support Wi-Fi calling
Sprint said it plans to rollout Wi-Fi calling to select iPhone devices over the coming weeks through a software update. The move will allow customers to make calls from their current Sprint phone number using a Wi-Fi connection.
The iPhones eligible for the upgrade include the latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, as well as the previous generation iPhone 5S and 5C. Devices will have to be running at least the 8.3 version of Apple’s operating system.
Customers taking advantage of Wi-Fi calling will not have those minutes charged against their calling plans should they still be on a metered offering. The service also does not support handoffs between a Wi-Fi initiated call and the carrier’s cellular network.
The service will also allow for free calls when using Wi-Fi in more than 200 countries calling back to a U.S., Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands number. The service is not available in select countries, including Australia, China, Cuba, North Korea, India, Iran, Singapore, Sudan and Syria.
Sprint touted similar benefits to the Wi-Fi option as laid out by rival T-Mobile US, which touted the capability as part of last year’s Un-carrier 7.0 event. Those benefits include superior in-building coverage and possibly a better calling experience for customers.
Sprint has been a proponent of Wi-Fi calling services, having placed greater emphasis on the option ahead of a slower move toward voice over LTE. The carrier has hinted that it is working on a VoLTE service that can take advantage of its growing LTE network and compete with similar offerings from rivals. However, Sprint’s current LTE service is somewhat constrained by a lack of depth in the 1.9 GHz band it’s using to support the service, though it’s looking to bolster that support through the use of 800 MHz spectrum holdings for broader coverage and 2.5 GHz spectrum for densification.
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