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According to Wi-Fi Calling FAQs
How are calls and messages over Wi-Fi Calling billed?
There is no additional monthly charge to use Wi-Fi calling.
If you have a Pay In Advance line, calls made over Wi-Fi deduct from the plan bucket just like regular calls.
Otherwise, Wi-Fi calling uses monthly plan minutes for the following:
- Calls made from the US to US numbers
- Calls made from the US to international numbers (subject to international rates)
- Calls made from outside the US to US numbers (not charged roaming)
- Calls made from outside the US to international numbers (subject to international rates, but not charged roaming). You must disable Data Roaming when traveling internationally to avoid incurring data roaming charges.
Then international rates depends on the rate plan that you have on your account and the country you are trying to make calls with. More details will be available at International roaming services
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1 of 1 people found this helpfulIf you're in a foreign country and are using WiFi Calling, you are TECHNICALLY on T-Mobile's network at that point, therefore no additional charges happen (unless you call an international number).
WiFi calling is an extension of T-Mobile's network... whether it be in your basement (as shown in the current commercials) or in a hot tub in Paris. T-Mobile doesn't care where your IP address is when connected to WiFi Calling. It doesn't cost anything extra to send voice packets to Paris, France vs Paris, TX.
[I guess the caveat is you gotta be careful of call quality depending on where you are... Some countries apparently have a bit slower internet than others]
The key is making sure you're on WiFi Calling, and NOT on a foreign carrier's cellular signal (as using a foreign carrier's signal will incur charges).
People have used WiFi Calling since it's creation to bypass international rates. If I was selected for the temporary assignment in Hong Kong earlier this year, I would have bought a phone with WiFi Calling just so I could keep in touch with friends and family (in that short window where the 12-hour time difference wasn't horrible). As long as you use WiFi Calling, you are charged as if you are sitting in the United States on a T-Mobile tower.
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Thanks for your answer smplyunprdctble!
I am in a foreign country and making international calls (I'm calling numbers in the country I am in!). Looking at my current usage bill some of my calls are listed as wifi calls, but some are listed as international, which is weird because I am sure that I made all calls while using wifi calling. My bill does not show $ charges yet so I have no idea how much the international calls will cost. I also had disabled roaming and, if I understand this correctly, this should unable me to make international calls (if I'm not on WIFI calling) no?
Anyway, thanks again for your response-
Do you have Stateside International Calling?
Calling Abroad | Stateside International Services | T-Mobile
You'll be billed at whatever rate your plan has (again, as if you're sitting making a call from Albuquerque, NM). So, for instance, I looked up United Kingdom -- if I don't have either of the Stateside International Calling plans, it's $1.99/minute. If I have the $5 plan, it's free to call landlines, 20 cents/minute for mobiles. If I have the $10 plan, it's free to call both landlines and mobiles.
Disabling roaming does not disable your ability to make international calls (if you're in the US, you can make international calls). Remember, WiFi Calling is making your phone be in the US, so everything acts as if you're in the US. Which means you're not roaming while you're on WiFi Calling.
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If you turn roaming off yes you won't be able to make calls but you will also lose the free text and data for T-Mobile's post-paid Simple Choice plan. The other thing you have to be careful of is if you are on Wi-Fi calling and call an international number as smplyunprdctble pointed out you are on T-Mobile's US network so it will look like a call from a US Number on a US Network to an international number. If you need to call an international number from your cell it would be best to use the roaming on the countries cell network you are on as most countries (verify for the country you are in International Plans | Traveling Abroad without Roaming Fees | T-Mobile ) but most are just $0.20 per minute which if you look at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint they are usually $1.50 to $2.00 per minute.
I travel overseas a lot (mostly Europe) and again as smplyunprdctble pointed out most of us have been using the Wi-Fi calling feature to beat the $$ long before it became part of the "international un-carrier" program. T-Mobile didn't advertise it but they didn't block it either so I could always call the family or they could call me when I was at the hotel on Wi-Fi and it didn't cost a dime.
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+1 on Steve's post. Have used wifi calling feature when overseas ever since it came out.
Now, with the 20¢/min. feature - we simply leave phones on all waking hours - just like at home. AND now have free data and text. (Used to use the BBerry unlimted email add-on at 67¢/day when overseas.)
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