AT&T is sending text messages to customers telling them that their Wi-Fi Calling feature, first introduced in October 2015, now allows them to make Wi-Fi calls from international locations. The feature was previously limited to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Starting this afternoon, and following the iOS 9.3 update, AT&T began sending text messages to customers notifying them of the change. When traveling abroad, a call placed to the United States or received from the United States using Wi-Fi calling will incur no long distance charges, a feature that should be highly useful to AT&T customers who are visiting another country and calling home.
If a U.S. number is calling another U.S. number via Wi-Fi Calling, there will be no charge, no matter where the caller is located. If a customer calls an international number from his U.S. AT&T phone, the usual international calling charges will apply.
From AT&T’s Wi-Fi calling website:
Use Wi-Fi Calling to talk and text over an active Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi Calling lets you talk and text from indoor locations where it’s hard even for a strong cellular signal to reach. Wi-Fi Calling can be used in the Domestic Coverage Area (U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands) and from most international countries.
The new international Wi-Fi Calling feature is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and newly introduced iPhone SE, running iOS 9.3.
AT&T has also made changes to their NumberSync feature, which allows an iPad or Mac linked to an iPhone to make or receive calls over an AT&T cellular connection. Previously, the devices had to be connected to Wi-Fi to use this feature. Starting on Tuesday, a cellular iPad or other device using a cellular connection can use it to make NumberSync calls when a connected iPhone is unavailable.
