FREE Wi-Fi calling coming to Verizon on July 25!!

[Miller6386]

I kind of called it as Bull when I read it was going to be free and from Verizon. I knew one of those words was used improperly

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[FoxKat]

Thanks...I see that's the same link that FoxKat posted, and that's from September 2014. In doing some searches on Google, there doesn't appear to be anything from even this month regarding this issue.

Well, it certainly didn't happen, but that's the thing about information that comes from high-level tech support. It may be on their screen when they reveal it to us, but Verizon can always come along at a later time and pull it down. I suspect that may be what happened as they decided to push back or even eliminate the WIFI calling plan. I will do more research to see if I can get any additional feedback or other news.

 

[FoxKat]

I kind of called it as Bull when I read it was going to be free and from Verizon. I knew one of those words was used improperly

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What do you mean by "one of those words was used improperly"? Just curious. Did you mean that I misused a word or that the person who disclosed the information to me did?

As stated it was on the screen of the technician when I was on the phone with her. She read it to me word for word. Whether Verizon decided at some point to back away from that is another issue altogether but what she read to me was too well scripted to have been straight off the top of her head. It was very Verizon-esque in its language and grammar.

All I hope is that it does eventually get released but apparently one of the main reasons why they weren't in a hurry to do so is that they felt if a poor WIFI connection resulted in a spotty or noisy call, it might be interpreted by the user as a problem with the Verizon phone network and NOT the WIFI connection. In other words, they want to be able to control the quality of their calls more closely and so were concerned that a poor WIFI connection could result in bad publicity for them. When you're a multi-billion dollar corporation like this one - 186 Billion+ to be more acccurate, and a communications service provider tied into the 911 network, and utility to boot, you must be very careful about how your service is perceived lest it cause a drop in stock prices, loss of market share or other negative impact, including potential physical harm if the call to a 911 operator is unintelligible for instance.

 

[cr6]

FWIW, you don't need WiFi to call 911. You don't even need a data plan or even a sim card in your device to call 911 so I doubt it was related to that. Any cell phone can make a 911 call as long as it has the battery power to do so.

S5 tap'n

 

[FoxKat]

FWIW, you don't need WiFi to call 911. You don't even need a data plan or even a sim card in your device to call 911 so I doubt it was related to that. Any cell phone can make a 911 call as long as it has the battery power to do so.

S5 tap'n

Not to argue, I agree that it's a federal law that all cell phones must be able to call 911 even without a data plan or SIM. That's not the scenarios I was referring to.

At risk of stating the obvious but for those who don't completely understand, these are portable radio frequency transceiver devices (not all that much different than walkie talkies or police radios in that respect), and if they're not within range of a cellular tower or a Wi-Fi connection they are not able to function as a phone or as a data communications device (no internet). The issue is if there's no cellular service (no signal), or an active Wi-Fi Calling connection within range of the phone, then you can have all the battery power you want and can dial 911 all day and not get through.

So in many buildings, for instance my local Home Depot, the Bed, Bath and Beyond, and the lower floor of a nearby target, as well as in many people's homes - mine included until fairly recently, and even my doctors office and son's dentist (both in the same building), service is nonexistent and you're not getting calls out or in. However, if there is an active Wi-Fi access point you can connect to as in at home, your office, or in my case the doctor's office for instance. you could still make calls, including and perhaps most importantly 911 emergency calls.

 

[TisMyDroid]

What do you mean by "one of those words was used improperly"? Just curious.

The words "free" and "from Verizon"... One of those words don't belong.

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[FoxKat]

The words "free" and "from Verizon"... One of those words don't belong.

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Kinda thought so but wasn't sure. Would love to hear it from the OP...

 

[TisMyDroid]

It was funny.

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[Miller6386]

The words "free" and "from Verizon"... One of those words don't belong.

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Please don't take it seriously. I was being facetious about Verizon offering something free.


I also would love to see it as many of the shops I go in are dead zones for cell service but they do offer some of us contractors wifi access.

Again nothing at you at all just expressing a little of displeasure with Verizon.

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[IIGood]

All I hope is that it does eventually get released but apparently one of the main reasons why they weren't in a hurry to do so is that they felt if a poor WIFI connection resulted in a spotty or noisy call, it might be interpreted by the user as a problem with the Verizon phone network and NOT the WIFI connection. In other words, they want to be able to control the quality of their calls more closely and so were concerned that a poor WIFI connection could result in bad publicity for them. When you're a multi-billion dollar corporation like this one - 186 Billion+ to be more acccurate, and a communications service provider tied into the 911 network, and utility to boot, you must be very careful about how your service is perceived lest it cause a drop in stock prices, loss of market share or other negative impact, including potential physical harm if the call to a 911 operator is unintelligible for instance.

Verizon could always try to put a disclaimer in that states if a WiFi network is used, they can't be responsible for the call quality.

But of course, nobody reads anything anymore....

 

[bsweetness]

Moral of the story: No matter how high they may rank or how good their comments sound, Verizon reps and tech support can almost never be trusted when it comes to knowledge of release dates for products, updates, and services.

I'm good friends with a phone and online rep/tech support manager for Verizon in a major metro area. He's told me many times that some reps make comments on release dates and schedules off rumors they've heard around the office. In other cases, they're looking at early projections and/or draft language that they aren't supposed to be sharing with the public. This is a problem that he has to deal with far too often. Clearly it's something the reps are not supposed to do. The training department fails miserably at preparing reps and tech support for it. Several people have been fired over the years for it.

That said, Verizon does sometimes pulls the plug at the last minute on releases. I doubt that happened here though. I'm guessing the support person in question was looking at some draft language that was old or had a placeholder date. If Verizon really was planing on a July 25 release date, we would have seen information on it leak out on tech sites all across the web. As it stands, most of the information currently out there about Verizon adding Wi-Fi calling is from 2014.

The best information on upcoming product, update and service releases from Verizon always comes from the usual online websites that have a strong history of posting accurate information. They get information from trusted sources in Verizon or in the manufacturing process that's reliable. A rep/tech support employee on the phone, email, or chat is almost never reliable when it comes to stuff like this.

 

[FoxKat]

Please don't take it seriously. I was being facetious about Verizon offering something free.


I also would love to see it as many of the shops I go in are dead zones for cell service but they do offer some of us contractors wifi access.

Again nothing at you at all just expressing a little of displeasure with Verizon.

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And I really didn't take it that way however thanks for the clarification. I did kinda figure that's what you meant.

 

[FoxKat]

Moral of the story: No matter how high they may rank or how good their comments sound, Verizon reps and tech support can almost never be trusted when it comes to knowledge of release dates for products, updates, and services.

I'm good friends with a phone and online rep/tech support manager for Verizon in a major metro area. He's told me many times that some reps make comments on release dates and schedules off rumors they've heard around the office. In other cases, they're looking at early projections and/or draft language that they aren't supposed to be sharing with the public. This is a problem that he has to deal with far too often. Clearly it's something the reps are not supposed to do. The training department fails miserably at preparing reps and tech support for it. Several people have been fired over the years for it.

That said, Verizon does sometimes pulls the plug at the last minute on releases. I doubt that happened here though. I'm guessing the support person in question was looking at some draft language that was old or had a placeholder date. If Verizon really was planing on a July 25 release date, we would have seen information on it leak out on tech sites all across the web. As it stands, most of the information currently out there about Verizon adding Wi-Fi calling is from 2014.

The best information on upcoming product, update and service releases from Verizon always comes from the usual online websites that have a strong history of posting accurate information. They get information from trusted sources in Verizon or in the manufacturing process that's reliable. A rep/tech support employee on the phone, email, or chat is almost never reliable when it comes to stuff like this.

I agree with virtually everything you've said here. I just conveyed the information on the possibility that is might be valid, but knowing it was at least credible documentation. The hope was that it would pan out but if I hadn't conveyed it and it did I would have felt like I missed an opportunity to bring news to the community early.

Any early news of release dates for either hardware or software, or information about prototypes and such is always to be taken with a certain amount of skepticism. Your point about draft language with a placeholder date seems to be the most likely scenario but again it could be that it was in the works and simply was pulled, suspended or delayed for one reason or another.