Rationale for restricting iOS wifi calling to specific customer types

[NFH]

Many of my friends use iPhones on Vodafone (some are business customers), but none of them can turn on wifi calling (despite the option appearing in their iPhones' settings) because Vodafone restricts it to specific customer types - "Pay monthly Red or Red Value Bundle, Red+ or Business Premier". In contrast, I am on PAYG on Three and I have wifi calling, so I suffer no coverage blackspots in Tube stations etc. Similarly several of my foreign prepaid SIM cards support wifi calling, including internationally. It is absurd that while my Swiss or Brazilian prepaid SIM cards work with wifi calling in Tube stations, many Vodafone UK SIM cards do not.

Wifi calling is about coverage, so it seems rather odd to deliberately give different coverage to different customer types. What is the rationale for Vodafone's business decision or policy of restricing wifi calling to the above customer types?

[jeffkinn]

Vodafone itself will never comment on such matters, so all we can do is speculate.

However, I think that the reason is quite clear. It is designed to encourage customers to upgrade to a newer iPHone model and on a more expensive contract. Vodafone is a mature business with a very established customer base. Three has been quite aggressive about building its customer base by offering things like unlimited data or free roaming, which none of the other networks have done.

Personally, I've had WiFi calling enabled since day 1 and have hardly ever used it, including on the Tube that I use many times a week. It's nice to know it's there I suppose but it's hardly a deal breaker. There are plenty of other options if I need to make a call, including BT Smart Talk if you have a BT landline or Whatsapp.

[NFH]

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@jeffkinn wrote:
There are plenty of other options if I need to make a call, including BT Smart Talk if you have a BT landline or Whatsapp.

The main advantage of wifi calling is to ensure that you don't miss incoming calls, not so that you can make outgoing calls. As you point out, there are plenty of ways to make calls. I almost never make an outgoing call via GSM; I always use VoIP services.

[jeffkinn]

I appreciate that it is better for receiving calls and there is no doubt it's a handy option to have. Which is the very reason that it is restricted to certain handsets and certain plan types - to encourage customers to take up those options.

[NFH]

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@jeffkinn wrote:

I appreciate that it is better for receiving calls and there is no doubt it's a handy option to have. Which is the very reason that it is restricted to certain handsets and certain plan types - to encourage customers to take up those options.

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The effect is not to encourage customers to switch to another Vodafone plan, but to push them towards another network that provides wifi calling as standard. This is one of the main reasons I recently switched to Three.

[jeffkinn]

That may be true for you but it isn't good enough to generalise like that. We aren't seeing a flood of people migrating in the way you have. For most people WiFi calling just isn't that important enough to move networks.

[NFH]

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@jeffkinn wrote:
For most people WiFi calling just isn't that important enough to move networks.

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Three has a reputation for poor coverage, but In London, Three with wifi calling has better coverage than Vodafone without wifi calling; coverage inside Tube stations is the most obvious example.

[jeffkinn]

I use the Tube a lot. I've never ever seen anyone on the phone on a platform let alone receive a call. I'm sure it happens from time to time but clearly not often.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

I appreciate and understand your point. 

I'm payg too on Vodafone and elsewhere. So for example on o2 I can't use tugo or tethering. 

Yet on Vodafone payg I can tether. 

And it's the same bracket as older iPhones not being included with only the new ones. 

Vodafone wouldn't divulge their business decisions to us im afraid. 

Calling Over WiFi is imo still in its infancy so it can take some time maybe for this to be rolled out to more contract types and eligible phones if indeed they do.