Optus launches Wi-Fi calling, SMS

Optus has launched an app for iPhones and Android handsets that allow voice calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi connections.

WiFi Talk can also be used with a broadband provider’s WiFi internet connection, with a minimum recommended WiFi connection speed of 100Kbps.

Calls and texts are charged to subscriber’s mobile bill with the same inclusions and rates as their Optus mobile plan.

The “WiFi Talk” app, announced on Tuesday, is an alternative to such VoIP apps as Viber, Skype, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime, with the advantage of using a customer’s existing phone number.

Optus is advertising the app as a way for customers to circumvent a lack of mobile coverage, particularly indoors, while still using their current phone number. The Home Zone cost a few dollars per month, but in return you could make unlimited local, national and mobile calls using the primary mobile associated with your Home Zone.

Despite this, Optus says the data required to make calls is “relatively small”, equating to roughly 300kB per minute when making a call and approximately 80kB per minute when the app is running idle in the background. This is useful because the app might not work on some Wi-Fi networks, especially corporate networks, depending on the firewall settings.

The transition from traditional calling to the use of data over 4G and Wi-Fi marks a trend in the increasing popularity of communications apps including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, spurring Optus’ entry to the market through the Wi-Fi calling app.

Asking you to pay full price for WiFi Talk calls seems a bit rich when you’re helping Optus avoid the expense of improving its mobile network.

SICK of going to a mate’s place and having no phone reception?

“WiFi Talk is a simple way for Optus customers to stay connected where they have access to a WiFi connection. This is the first of many exciting developments for Optus in the Wi-Fi calling space”. How do you deal with mobile blackspots?