State-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has officially rolled out Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) service across the country for its mobile users. This service was announced on Thursday. As a result, BSNL is on equal footing with other private operators like Vodafone Idea (Vi), Reliance Jio, and Airtel, who have been providing their customers with VoWiFi services.
According to BSNL, this feature is aimed to enhance call continuity in locations where the mobile network has poor or fluctuating coverage – anywhere from homes and offices to basement areas in a building. The VoWiFi, or Voice over Wi-Fi, service allows you to make and receive voice calls over a Wi-Fi network rather than the usual mobile network. The IMS-based technology of VoWiFi enables seamless handoff between a Wi-Fi network and a mobile network in order to provide clearer calls, says BSNL.
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What is VoWiFi?
VoWiFi makes use of your Wi-Fi connectivity in handling calls rather than the cellular network. According to BSNL, it is IMS-based and allows a combination of cellular and Wi-Fi networks to provide clearer calls.
It’s very useful when mobile phone reception becomes patchy. As long as you’re connected to a good Wi-Fi connection, you can just carry on making and answering calls and texting as usual, despite your mobile reception being dodgy.
No app required, no extra charges
BSNL has also clarified that the service is free for its subscribers. Nothing needs to be downloaded. After enabling it, the service works directly from the settings on your cellphone and activates automatically whenever it senses a Wi-Fi network, which also enables you to seamlessly switch between the cellular network and Wi-Fi calling.
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How to enable BSNL VoWiFi on phone?
Enabling VoWiFi on a supported device is a simple process:
Open Settings on your smartphone
Tap on Mobile Network
Select SIM1 (or the SIM linked to your BSNL number)
Scroll down to Wi-Fi Calling
Turn on the toggle to activate VoWiFi
Once enabled, a Wi-Fi calling icon will appear near the network indicator when calls are routed through Wi-Fi.
The VoWiFi service is only available on smartphones that support Wi-Fi calling technology. Users can check their phone’s settings or check more information on the BSNL website for BSNL for more information on this service.
