What is Wi-Fi calling and does it work in Australia?

Using Wi-Fi to make calls is a good way to maintain a connection with your loved ones. This is especially the case when making international calls. You can use your home or office internet connection to carry phone calls and text messages. This works instead of routing them through the mobile data network.

Not only can this be a cheaper option when calling internationally, but your phone number stays the same. Calls and texts work exactly as they normally would. However, the signal travels over your broadband connection rather than through a mobile tower.

Using the Wi-Fi network this way is easy.

It is built into the phone dialler on most modern smartphones. You do not need a separate app. When enabled, your phone switches automatically between mobile and Wi-Fi calling depending on which signal is stronger.

How does it work?

When you make a call with Wi-Fi connection enabled, your phone converts the voice signal into data packets. From here, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) transmits them over your internet connection.

Your carrier handles the routing between the internet and the standard telephone network. This means the person you are calling does not need to do anything differently.

Which Australian carriers support calls over Wi-Fi?

Most major Australian mobile phone carriers now support Wi-Fi calling on compatible devices

If you are on an Optus plan through Compare Broadband, Optus Wi‑Fi calling is available by default.

It works on compatible handsets. Support varies by device model and plan type in certain coverage areas.

When is using the internet for calls useful?

Wi-Fi calling is most valuable when your mobile signal is weak, but your home internet connection is strong. Common scenarios:

• Homes in rural or regional Australia where mobile coverage is patchy. You have a nbn® or fixed wireless connection.
• Apartments and dense urban buildings where mobile signal is blocked by thick concrete or steel construction.
• Travelling internationally where roaming charges apply but Wi-Fi is available.
• Businesses with basement offices or underground spaces with poor mobile reception

It is also useful as a backup during mobile network outages. If the mobile network is down but your nbn® connection is working, Wi-Fi calling keeps your phone functional.

What are the limitations of Wi-Fi calling?

How to turn on Wi-Fi calling

It's easy to access Wi-Fi calling from your phone and doesn't take long to set up. There are several ways to do this depending on your carrier:

• iPhone: Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling > toggle on
• Android (Samsung): Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Wi-Fi Calling > toggle on
• Android (other): Settings > Network and Internet > Mobile Network > Wi-Fi Calling

You may need to confirm your address for emergency call location purposes when enabling it for the first time.

Does Wi-Fi calling Australia use your internet data?

Yes, Wi-Fi calling uses your broadband connection, but the data consumption is minimal. A one-hour voice call uses approximately 45-90MB, similar to a low-quality audio stream. For households on any nbn® plan, this is negligible.

Is your home internet fast enough for Wi-Fi calling?

Almost certainly yes. Voice calls require very little bandwidth, around 0.1 Mbps per call. Any nbn® plan is more than sufficient.

If you are experiencing poor call quality, the issue is more likely network latency than raw speed. If you are on an older or slower plan, compare available nbn® plans at your address.