Vodafone's Wi-Fi Calling in UK - How being Red means Nexus Google Fi coming

For those of you in the US of A waiting on Google Fi to launch with the coming of the Nexus on Tuesday September 30^th 2015 as reported in my Geezam blog article entitled  “Google Event on September 29th 2015 to launch Nexus running Marshmallow”, you might wanna take note of what's happening in Jolly old England!

Vodafone is prepping to launch their own Wi-Fi Calling service in England as reported in the article “Vodafone launches app-free WiFi Calling”, published 11.09.2015 by Nick Summers, Engadget.

The rollout of their Wi-Fi Calling service is a follow-on to similar rollouts by Telecom Provider EE, O2 and Three as noted in the article “Vodafone launches Wi-Fi Calling to catch up with EE”, published 11.09.2015 by James Peckham, TechRadar.

This'll take place in the next few weeks of September 2015 according to the Press Release from Vodafone Blog titled “Calling is coming! Make phone calls through any Wi-Fi Network with Vodafone UK”.

It's also a follow-on of Vodafone's recent rollout of HD Voice Calling, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and their program to ensure UK customer can receive their signal called Rural Open Sure Signal programme as reported in the article “Vodafone introduces nationwide Wi-Fi Calling”, published 11 Sep 2015 by Alex Scroxton, Computer Weekly.

So who exactly can get Wi-Fi Calling on Vodafone's Network?

Vodafone rolls out Wi-Fi Calling - How being Red means App-less Wi-Fi Calling

 Wi-Fi Calling on the Vodafone UK Network is available to anyone in the UK with a smartphone that's on one of the following plans:

1.      Vodafone Red

2.      Red Value

3.      Red+ plan

What's interesting here is that this service requires no App to be installed, just access to Wi-Fi.

So if you're in an area with spotty Wi-Fi coverage of you travel on the London Underground or the chunnel a lot, it might be a good idea to  carry a portable Wi-Fi Device with you similar to the Digicel MiFi as described in Ramano's Geezam blog article entitled “WiFi On The Go: Digicel MiFi”.  

Once your device is compatible, it automatically kicks in once you’ve been alerted that the service has been activated. You can then call any other mobile phone on any Network as you would a normal mobile phone on Vodafone's Network.

Vodafone and other pre-empting Google Fi - Gearing up for Nexus with Google Fi Wi-Fi Calling Capability

Something tells me that three (3) Telecom Providers rolling out Wi-Fi Calling isn't just a coincidence. 

With the Google Nexus set to launch on Tuesday September 30^th 2015, my tea leaf reading tells me they're pre-empting the launch of Google Fi in the UK as detailed in my blog article entitled “Google's Project Fi Network – How @Google Fi's @Sprint and @TMobile MVNO will force @ATT and @Verizon to join their VoLTE Forces”.

By launching Wi-Fi Calling, they're bracing for impact from Google Fi's planned launch in the UK. This is especially true, as for Google to launch their services, they'd have had to have signed MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) license agreements with these carriers, giving the Telecom Provider’s a heads up.

So will Wi-Fi Calling be coming to the US of A? I'll be looking out for similar announcements from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile?

If they announce their own Wi-Fi Calling Services, then rest assured come Tuesday September 30^th 2015, Google Fi will be launched via the Google Nexus smartphones running Google Android 6.0 Marshamallow.

Here’s the link:

Calling is coming! Make phone calls through any Wi-Fi Network with Vodafone UK