Verizon Wants To Enable Wi-Fi Calling, Seeks FCC Waiver

Hearing-impaired customers won't be left out in the cold: both AT&T and Verizon say that they are working on a replacement for the TTY text-chat protocol that will work over Wi-Fi.

For the benefit of the lay readers, TTY, or Tele Typewriter, an accessibility feature allows the audibly-challenged to communicate over a regular phone call by typing their message on the phone keyboard and have that message relayed through to the caller at the other end of the line in real time. AT&T asked the FCC to grant it a waiver to switch on the service, and now Verizon has done the same. Sprint and T-Mobile already offer the service, but are apparently doing so in violation of federal law.

AT&T complained to the FCC last month that competitors T-Mobile and Sprint merely disregarded the rules around TTY support when they launched Wi-Fi calling. Verizon will also inform the Commission and customers of its progress toward the deployment of RTT as described in the AT&T Waiver Order.

Well, now, it seems as though other companies are seeking the same regulatory approval, with Verizon having applied for permission, too. The problem is, TTY does not work reliably over IP networks.

If Verizon can get its waiver, then it will be able to support "true" Wi-Fi calling-iOS and Android devices would both be able to make calls over Wi-Fi through their native dialers, rather than needing a supplemental app to do so. Verizon wants the same condition that was granted to AT&T regarding Wi-Fi calling, despite the fact that the replacement TTY technology, called RTT, is not yet fully functional.

Verizon has applied for the FCC's approval to offer Wi-Fi calling to its customers, making it likely that Verizon customers will be able to use the feature within a few days.