Wi-Fi calling vs. cell phone service: Which one is actually better?

You may have heard the aphorism, “There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but you’ll find a better connection.” That’s a sweet though slightly unrealistic suggestion about stepping away from our devices now and then.

But unless you’re deep in the woods, Wi-Fi does indeed have your back—and your signal. Wi-Fi calling can step in when cell service is unavailable.

Let’s take a look at how Wi-Fi calling actually works, and how it can be a useful alternative to cell service.

What is Wi-Fi calling?

Simply put, Wi-Fi calling means you can make or receive calls over a wireless internet network instead of over a cellular network.

Once you enable Wi-Fi calling on your smartphone, your device will change how it handles voice calls. It will convert your voice calls into data packets as it normally does, but send them over the internet to your cellular service provider’s network rather than use the cellular antennas on your device.

Why would you want to route your phone calls over Wi-Fi? Because Wi-Fi calling can fill the gaps where cell service fails.

Think about your doctor’s office building with the thick cinderblock walls, and how frustrating it is when you want to conference your partner in on your appointment—except the building’s construction blocks cell phone service, and neither calls nor texts can get through. Wi-Fi calling circumvents this problem as long as you can connect to a solid Wi-Fi network.

That hopefully shouldn’t be too difficult. There are roughly 450 million Wi-Fi hotspots in the United States, per a Viasat study, and they’re proliferating faster than mushrooms after a rainstorm. According to data experts, “The global Wi-Fi market is on track to roughly double this decade, enterprise wireless gear is growing double digits a year, and businesses are upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 faster than any wireless generation before it.”

In addition to better indoor coverage, Wi-Fi calling really will work in the forest. If you’re glamping near a ranger station and they have a Wi-Fi network? The odds are good Wi-Fi calling will work. And if you’ve got a Starlink and a direct look at the sky you can pair your phone to use Wi-Fi calling that way too.

Just remember to spend some time offline, literally tree-hugging.

Best of both worlds: Wi-Fi calling and cell phone service team up

So is Wi-Fi calling better than cell phone service? That’s a bit like asking, is peanut butter better than jelly? Some people prefer one or the other, but you need both to make the tastiest sandwich.

The same is true for cell phone service and Wi-Fi. It’s easy enough to just use your phone with its default setting. However, once you enable Wi-Fi calling, it’s a “set it and forget it” feature. When cell service is spotty or unavailable, your phone will automatically route the call through a connected Wi-Fi network.

If you’re wondering, “Does Wi-Fi calling cost money?” the answer is typically no. While cell phone costs are determined primarily by how expensive it is to set up and maintain the infrastructure plus demand, domestic Wi-Fi calls within your own country use your normal phone plan; the data is just routed over the internet rather than through your cell phone’s cellular service.

Wi-Fi calling, cell phone service, and VoIP

There’s another great option to consider as well: VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Think about it this way: Comparing VoIP, landline and cell service is a bit like comparing peanut butter and jelly, sushi, and cherimoya (also known as custard apple). Everyone has their own preferences that suit their needs. This means great flexibility for phone calls. Here’s why:

Cell phones make sense. They’re like sushi, once a traditional Japanese delicacy that has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar global industry. The majority of people today own a smartphone (91% of all Americans) and even among those 65+, more than three-quarters have a smartphone. According to Pew Research, we’re becoming more dependent on our phones for internet access, with 41% reporting they’re online “almost constantly.”

Yet as wedded as we are to our cell phones, there are issues, such as cell phone service potentially being unreliable when it matters most: in an emergency. Beyond misrouting 911 calls, cellular calls may not work if your cellular connection is weak. This can happen if you’re either in a remote location or there’s a wider emergency causing many people to use their cell phones at once, squeezing carriers’ bandwidth and slowing service down to a crawl.

Wi-Fi calling fills those gaps. It allows you to make calls on your smartphone when cellular service is unavailable, which can be helpful but also has its limitations. First, you need a Wi-Fi hotspot, and many of these are fixed locations usually tied to coffee shops and cafes. You’re not going to be able to easily connect to Wi-Fi while on the go in your car, for example.

VoIP apps like Ooma home phone service and Ooma Office work over both Wi-Fi and cellular service on your smartphone, making VoIP the most versatile option overall.

You can make regular calls on your cell phone number. Wi-Fi calling converts those cell tower calls into data that works on the internet. VoIP already uses data to send its phone calls, making it compatible on both Wi-Fi and cellular. This gives it versatility. For example, you can have a landline phone at home, then take home calls with you on the go with your smartphone. If you have a business VoIP service, you can use your phone number with a traditional desk phone in the office, an app on your phone, or even apps on your laptop or tablet. The choice is yours.

Finally, VoIP is low cost, high quality, and dependable in an emergency: it pings to an accurate address for 911 responders. This is also how using Wi-Fi calling to reach 911 works, as it’ll use the address you registered with your cellular provider. However, calling 911 over cellular can be tricky as they can’t always get a direct read on your location, partly due to needing to triangulate your location by checking nearby cell towers.

Making the right choice for your needs

We live in a wireless world that offers a range of digital options. We may think we have an either/or choice, when in reality, today it’s more of a cornucopia.

By expanding our knowledge of various types of wireless signals and how this technology impacts our lives, we can find and utilize the best blend of service to suit our needs, whether we’re seeking a Wi-Fi signal in a forest—or heading out into the wilderness to recharge ourselves.