Sprint aims to improve cell service for its customers by offering free Wi-Fi voice calling in instances where the network might fail, such as inside a basement, apartment or building. So far, Sprint's new plan is only available for Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy Mega owners, but the company plans to add the service to other smartphones this year.
Those who own the Mini or Mega will receive an over-the-air software update, which will give their devices the new Wi-Fi calling capability. These select Sprint users will now be able to send texts or calls over a Wi-Fi network whenever they are out of the network's range. Sprint will add the service to several more devices soon.
"It's not uncommon for customers to experience mobile network coverage issues within their home, apartment or office building due to materials interfering with the Sprint network," Sprint wrote. "For customers that travel outside of Sprint's coverage or experience poor coverage in their homes or office, Wi-Fi calling is a solution that addresses these issues."
Sprint is not the first to resort to Wi-Fi to patch holes in its network. T-Mobile, AT&T and others also offer similar deals to customers. AT&T goes one step further by setting up company Wi-Fi networks in areas with lots of network congestion to relieve the pressure. T-Mobile and Sprint just use existing Wi-Fi networks for their respective services. Sprint's network has significantly less coverage than the other big-name networks, especially in rural areas, so this update is perhaps more important to Sprint users than to those who have contracts with other companies.
A lot of buildings also block network signals, so the Wi-Fi calling and texting option is quite nice for customers. The next time you're standing in a basement trying to make a call, you'll see why. What's strange about Sprint's update is that it is so limited. The Galaxy S4 Mini and Mega are not exactly best-selling smartphones. Perhaps the company is testing it out before they go whole hog.
Using Wi-Fi to send a text or call is also common in the world of apps. Anyone who owns an iPhone can already send texts over Wi-Fi with iMessage anyways and those who download certain chat apps such as BlackBerry Messenger, ChatOn and WhatsApp to do the same. Skype and Gogle Voice both offer voice call service over Wi-Fi, too. It's a common practice and a wise one for those who want to preserve minutes and get superior service.
