T-Mobile Confirms Wi-Fi Calling Support Coming in iOS 8

After being discovered in a slide during the WWDC keynote presentation yesterday, T-Mobile has confirmed that Wi-Fi Calling will be implemented in iOS 8 with the milestone of having over 90 percent of devices actively featuring the service once iOS 8 rolls out later this Fall.

First launched in 2007 and used by the carrier as a stopgap to resolve low native coverage before being touted as an advantage in recent months, T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi Calling implementation allows customers to make phone calls and send messages over Wi-Fi in order to overcome a lack of indoor cellular coverage in fringe or low coverage areas.

Since the service began as an app-based option for early Android and Windows Mobile smartphones while being included in heavily customized feature phones in 2008, 5 million customers have used Wi-Fi Calling with a total of over 17 million Wi-Fi Calling capable devices currently active on the network.

T-Mobile’s implementation of Wi-Fi calling does not require an additional app if using a branded smartphone and relies on the service plan instead of being exempt from airtime, while the implementation also relies on location information in order for E911 service to function.