A man uses his mobile phone in front of a Telstra Logo in central Sydney August 13, 2009.
A man uses his mobile phone in front of a Telstra Logo in central Sydney August 13, 2009. Reuters/Daniel Munoz

Telstra now allows iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S8 users to utilise its Wi-Fi calling service. VoWiFi is seen as a practical alternative to in-home mobile boosters because it allows easy transfer between Telstra's mobile network and WiFi, even when calls are ongoing.

Wi-Fi calling was first introduced last year. It basically means making and receiving calls in Australia can be done anytime, as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection.

Andrew Volard, Director of Device Management at Telstra, said there are several environmental factors that affect mobile coverage. These include building construction, topography and geography. “We can overcome some of these factors for our customers by extending Wi-Fi calling technology, making mobile voice calls accessible in places even the best mobile network can’t reach,” he said.

For iPhone users, Wi-Fi calling can be performed with the latest version of iOS and a new carrier update from Telstra. The service works in Apple’s latest models such as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7, as well as iPhone 6 and older iPhone iterations.

According to support.apple.com, iPhone users need to turn on Wi-Fi calling in Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling and may be asked to provide or confirm addresses for emergency services. That means Telstra customer should find strong phone call support when network at home or work is strong.

Wi-Fi calling is also being offered to a wide range of Android handsets, such as Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ handsets. Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge users that have accepted the Android 7.0 (“Nougat”) update can also use the service.

The company is reportedly looking to expand its service to more devices throughout this year. Below is the full list of enabled devices.

Apple iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Apple iPhone 6S

Apple iPhone 6S Plus

Apple iPhone SE

Apple iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8+

In other Telstra news, Chief Executive Officer Andrew Penn has welcomed the ACCC’s decision not to declare mobile roaming and called it the right decision for people, businesses and communities of regional Australia. “We also support the ACCC’s suggestion to encourage greater transparency about network quality, expansions and improvements,” he declared in a press release published at telstra.com.au, adding that the decision means getting closer to an exciting work that will have positive impacts on people who live, work and visit regional areas.

Read more: Vodafone warns Australians will continue to be ‘held hostage to Telstra’

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