IT’S not common for bad weather to wipe out phone signal, but it’s always possible when a big storm swings around.
All it takes is downed telephone pole to cause a low-signal ruckus in any particular area.
Although the effects are often worse in rural areas with low coverage.
Fortunately, there’s a “seamless” trick that can come in handy if you’re experiencing dodgy signal during Storm Ciarán, according to a Vodafone spokesperson.
Speaking to The Sun, the spokesperson said: “There aren’t specific things customers can do to change this but they can be tactical and use benefits such as Wi-Fi calling to their advantage.
“If customers don’t have signal, they can still make and receive calls via their broadband.
“They simply jump on to their home Wi-Fi connection – or public Wi-Fi when they’re out and about – and carry on chatting.”
Folks can keep using the same smartphone they would call contacts with using mobile signal, but instead use them to make calls over the internet.
“Customers won’t experience any difference in call experience – they can use their usual contacts/phone app and phone number, while the person receiving their call doesn’t need to have the service to answer their call,” the spokesperson continued.
“It’s all very seamless and a way to work around the impacts of adverse weather.”
These days, most phones support Wi-Fi calling.
But simply using an app like WhatsApp – through which every call is made over Wi-Fi or mobile data – will let you contact loved ones even if you’re experiencing a signal outage in your area.
The spokesperson added: “To use Wi-Fi Calling on their Vodafone account, customers need to have one of Vodafone’s more recent price plans as well as a compatible phone.
“An ever-increasing range of smartphones – from household names such as Apple, Huawei, Nokia and Samsung – are compatible with Wi-Fi Calling.”
Unless you have a smartphone, it’s unlikely your handset will have access to Wi-Fi calling.
But using a platform like Skype on a PC can be used to call smartphones that have installed the platform as a mobile app.
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