Mobile Operator Spusu Adds WiFi Calling to All UK Plans
Mobile network provider spusu, which hold a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement via BTWholesale that enables them to harness EE’s national UK network, has today announced the launch of Wi-Fi Calling (VoWiFi) support across all of their plans.
The WiFi Calling feature allows mobile users with a supported Smartphone to make and receive calls, often seamlessly, over a WiFi network, providing an alternative communication method in areas (often indoors) where signal reception via the mobile network itself may be poor. We should add that spusu also already supports the complementary 4G Calling service (Voice-over-LTE / VoLTE), which simply means that any calls you make or receive will stay on the 4G network rather than dropping back to 3G or 2G etc.
Christian Banhans, Director of spusu UK, said: “At spusu, we are dedicated to providing our customers with cutting-edge solutions that simplify and enrich their communication experience. The introduction of free WiFi calling reinforces our commitment to innovation and customer-centricity, ensuring that our users stay connected anytime, anywhere.”
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Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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Wish they sort out ping!
Only on iPhone & Samsung devices (no 5G Volte or WiFi calling on my Pixel 7a)
No 5G either? Ugh, I was looking at them as a reasonable esim option (EE based being a bonus) but with no 5G VoLTE or WiFi calling (I’ve got the Pixel 7a too) then it’s a bit of a non starter.
Wait tho, Pixels have a Google-made limitation for 5G, it happened to another MVNO (another country, I knew the fact from multiple inside sources as well as the firmware packages) that had to go through Google to get it sorted: they need to explicitly allowlist the functionality for the given SIM and even 5G channel bandwidth. The result was that the 5G signal for this MVNO was getting connected only when the allowed ChBW was configured on the mast (it was on a network which has two possible configurations based on the location).
I had spusu since day one and until past september and 5G was pretty good on a Xiaomi device, as well as ZTE MC801A modem.
This is good, but they need to allow more brands. As pointed out in the comments, right now it’s only Apple and Samsung.
Other EE MVNOs don’t have these restrictions and work fine, so I hope Spusu eventually opens it up to everyone.
The issue with configs and Android phones is that you need to go to the manufacturer for each operator and ask to install the configuration… not very practical. On iOS there is a generic configuration that most of the times works without any changes needed.
Indeed, sometimes there are advantages to Apple’s approach – technologies like this being one of them. If a network wants to use it, they have to use Apple’s software and it has to support everything. Android’s approach of decentralising the control of every tiny little thing is what is to blame for the terrible variability in support for basic network features!
I’m not sure if iOS is much better. The main difference is that there’s only one company selling iOS devices, while there are multiple companies using Android. A better comparison would be Apple vs Samsung, not Apple vs Android.
In any case, a few chinese brands seem to do their own thing and VoLTE/WiFI calling works even without the MVNO having to deal with them. Spusu is doing something different for some reason.
As x_term says, this is probably a Google limitation. I had that issue with a Pixel 5 on the Three SMARTY network a couple of years back. 5G was available on Three proper, and on another Three MVNO iD Mobile, but not SMARTY, despite it working on my wife’s Xiaomi/Poco phone on the same network. I moved to iD Mobile as a result.
Does Spusu have access to all of EE bands like 1P mobile does? Thanks
Yes they do.
Some guessing going on here, Spusu have full band access, 5G, they don’t have HD calling though. VOLTE and WiFi calling now offered on most phones.
Banking OTP messages don’t come through on Spusu.
Yes they do have HD calling
Im getting HD calling on my s24 ultra
Would a Oneplus 8 which seems to have VoLTE be able to access Spusu goodeys? I have very poor signal indoors so this is a deal breaker! I’m with Giffgaff been with they sence they started, before Orange/ EE, left for a signal at home but open to any suggestions.