After VoLTE, Free Mobile finally offers VoWiFi to make better quality calls via Wi-Fi, like its competitors. A long-awaited function but which requires a compatible phone and some manipulations.
It was time ! After VoLTE – voice over the Internet on the 4G or 5G mobile network – which was activated only a few months ago, Free Mobile has finally been allowing its subscribers to make VoWiFi calls since February 15, 2022. Behind this cryptic name hides a mode of communication consisting in conveying the voice via the Internet, in the form of IP packets, but using the Wi-Fi of a local network – domestic or public – instead of the traditional mobile network – hence its full name , Voice on Wi-Fi – and of course at no additional cost. A mode that recalls the principle of VoLTE – Voice on LTE –, which does the same with mobile data and which has two advantages. First, VoWiFi often offers better indoor coverage, especially in buildings where the waves of mobile networks pass badly. Then, this mode provides much better audio quality than conventional telephony – with a wider bandwidth – which allows for much more intelligible conversations. It is even possible to send and receive SMS in VoWiFi. Precious assets that provide real comfort in everyday life, provided, of course, that you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
VoWiFi: an option to activate manually
If the arrival of this new function is appreciable, it can also bring smiles to subscribers of other operators who have had this mode for several years. As with VoLTE, Free Mobile is only catching up with the competition. Also, VoWi-Fi is not available to everyone. On the one hand, this mode is reserved for subscribers of the “big” Free Mobile package, offered at €19.99 per month – €15.99 for Freebox subscribers and even €9.99 for Freebox Pop subscribers. Subscribers to the economic package at €2 per month as well as those who have opted for a “special series” package – a promotional formula with variable geometry – cannot therefore benefit from it. Then, you must have a compatible phone, which is not the case for all models. Free has not yet identified all compatible smartphones on its site. A gap that should be filled soon to avoid disappointments. Finally, the service is not automatically active. To activate it, you must send an SMS to 1337 simply indicating vowifi in the message. And you have to activate the option on the phone itself, by going to the settings. Alas, the handling varies between brands and models.
For example, on iPhone, you have to go to Settingsthen in Cellular data and in Wi-Fi calls and activate the option. On a Samsung Galaxy, you have to open the application Telephonethen press the icon More options, select menu Settingsand press the appropriate button to activate the Wi-Fi calling function. On a Google Pixel, you must go to Settingsin Network and Internetthen in SIM profilesthen in Wi-Fi calling. And on a Xiaomi model, the handling is still different: necessary you must first go to the application Telephone and dial *#*#869434#*#* to check compatibility, then dial *#*#4636#*#* to ensure that the service is activated… When will simple and identical settings be made on all phones?
VoLTE: an option already active
The arrival of VoWiFi closely follows that of VoLTE, which was activated at the end of 2021, as Free Mobile had promised in the fall. This technology was long overdue when it had been offered for years by other major operators, Bouygues Telecom having even launched it in 2015… As a reminder, VoLTE (for Voice over LTE) is a voice communication technology which consists of passing the voice over the mobile Internet, in 4G or 5G, and not in GSM mode. Main interest: a significant improvement in the audio quality of communications, thanks to so-called HD (high definition) sound. But this is not its only asset, since VoLTE is also more reactive, with faster communication establishment. Above all, VoLTE does not interrupt the data connection. Clearly, you can call while continuing to surf the Web, consult social networks, stream or download apps, which is not possible in 2G, the classic call mode. A real plus in everyday life, especially for those who practice Internet connection sharing via their mobile phone.
The VoLTE option was among the first changes announced by the operator at the end of September during the Free Communities Convention, an event held at the headquarters of Iliad, the parent company, in Paris, and during which the leaders of the company meet with user associations to discuss the operator’s situation and plans, both on the network and on support, offers and services.
Free Mobile: agitator for ten years
For the record, Free Mobile celebrated its tenth anniversary on January 10th. It was indeed on January 10, 2012 that, on the back of the success of its Internet access offers and its Freeboxes, the troublemaker of telecoms launched itself on the French mobile telephony market with the firm intention of changing the rules of the game. And it is clear that the company founded by Xavier Niel has managed to make a good place for itself in the sun against the three major competing operators already well established (Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR) with an aggressive tariff offer which still persists and which has largely contributed to lowering prices in France, as it likes to point out in its communication campaign. An official campaign, accompanied by an offbeat and humorous video where Xavier Niel made a very provocative statement like a President of the Republic, openly mocking the candidates for the presidential election…
Free Mobile plan: even more generous unlimited
In this squeaky parody that has no more to everyone, the founder of Free insisted on what made the success of his offer, hammering the slogan “Freedom, equality, unchanged prices”. But the operator was fortunately not satisfied with this acid pastiche to celebrate the event with dignity. In addition to a few temporary promotions and a contest without major interest, Free Mobile has mainly changed its flagship formula, the famous unlimited telephone plan. Without changing the price – it remains offered at €15.99 per month for Freebox subscribers and €19.99 per month for others, it offers unlimited 4G/5G data to Freebox subscribers and up to 210 GB for the others. A nice gift that makes it one of the best formulas of the moment in terms of quantity/price ratio, territorial coverage in 4G and 5G still being the subject of bitter debate among specialists, even if the number of antennas of the Free network has increased significantly in recent years.
Free package at 2 euros: waiting for progress
However, if we can rejoice to see that the prices of mobile telephony packages have dropped significantly since the arrival of Free Mobile, as the operator reminds us, we can also regret that the operator did not take advantage of his birthday to develop his entry-level offer, as he had hinted a few months ago. In fact, the famous 2-euro mobile plan, the very economical formula which made the operator’s heyday when it arrived on the market, is today suffering from comparison with the competition, both among MVNOs (the virtual operators like NRJ Mobile or Prixtel) than with traditional operators, Bouygues Telecom and SFR in the lead.
Admittedly, when you simply look at the rates, Free’s 2-euro plan has no real equivalent: it only offers 2 hours of calls, but SMS and MMS are unlimited, which is not the case for other packages at very low prices. On the other hand, the volume of data remains limited to 50 MB (after having been temporarily increased to 100 MB during the first confinement of 2020), which proves to be notably insufficient given current uses, even for very moderate use (consultation a mailbox, instant messaging). As a result, Free has lost a lot of ground in this segment in recent years, losing some 223,000 subscribers to its 2-euro package in 2020 and already 221,000 subscribers in the first half of 2021. Faced with this massive leak, Xavier Niel promised to enrich the formula, but without specifying the exact content or the deadline. The specialists are counting on an unchanged price, to maintain the attractive aspect of this emblematic offer, with an increasing volume of data. But we will have to wait a while longer to see this emblematic offer evolve…
Free Mobile plans in February 2022
19.99 €
Free 5G plan
Unlimited calls
Unlimited SMS/MMS
210 GB 5G Internet
Network: Free
Without engagement
Network: Free
Without engagement
11.99 €
for 12 months then 19.99 € / month
90 GB Free Series
Unlimited calls
Unlimited SMS/MMS
90 GB 4G+ Internet
Network: Free
Without engagement
Network: Free
Without engagement
2.00 €
Package 2 euro
2 hours
Unlimited SMS/MMS
50 MB 4G+ Internet
Network: Free
Without engagement
Network: Free
Without engagement
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Finally, remember that Free Mobile is a subsidiary of the group Iliad, such as Free, the fixed Internet operator. The two companies offer gateways – with in particular reductions on the prices of mobile plans reserved for Freebox subscribers – but it is not compulsory to be a customer of one to benefit from the services of the other, even if the the assistance telephone number – 3244 – is the same.