Rogers Wi-Fi Calling Whilst Outside Canada -> Roaming Charges, Why?

[MichaelYYZ]

Historically, unlike Bell and Telus, Rogers was not charging roaming fees when using Wi-Fi Calling outside of Canada. But things have changed, apparently.

Now, both Bell and Telus do not provide Wi-Fi Calling services outside of Canada. Perhaps billing for roaming on Wi-Fi Calling was challenging (or challenged!) and now, instead of providing the service for free, they decided to provide it not at all (and charge roaming the old-fashion way).

Rogers, instead, have not only made things confusing, but also unfair. In an nutshell, if a user is using Wi-Fi Calling outside of Canada:

• The user will not pay for roaming if calling a Canadian number;
• The user will be charged roaming fees if calling a non-Canadian number.

This does not make sense to me because in either case the user is not connected to the Rogers wireless network, i.e. is roaming. But I find this also abusive because, as long as a user is on Wi-Fi Calling, the user is connected to an Internet provider, at the user's cost, whilst Rogers will not incur additional roaming charges from a partner third-party wireless provider.

For clarity, please note that I am talking about roaming charges, not long-distance charges. The latter are not the subject of this post.

What is going with Rogers? Another attempt to make a free buck on the back of their customers?

Does Rogers' approach make sense? Am I missing anything?

Rogers Wi-Fi Calling

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[LordDrakkon]

WiFi Calling works exactly like how I have always expected it to. When using WiFi Calling outside of Canada, it treats calls and texts, incoming amd outgping, like they originated in Canada. Any call or text not covered by your plan is billable. You might be on an internet service that is paid for but your service still connects to the Rogers Network through the internet to place and receive calls and texts.

Edit:  Try thinking about it this way.  That SIM in your device provides a service.  If you remove the SIM.  Can you make and receive calls and texts using WiFi Calling?  No!  Whether that SIM uses your internet or someone elses, regardless of where it is.  It must connect to the Rogers Network to provide the service for your number, whether it is connecting to a tower, satellite, or through the internet in some way.  

[MichaelYYZ]

Generally, I agree with you, and thank for your thoughts. 

I think you are absolutely right when you say this: "When using WiFi Calling outside of Canada, it treats calls and texts, incoming amd outgping, like they originated in Canada." 

Therefore, if I am, say, in the UK on Wi-Fi Calling and I call a number in Germany, then long-distance charges should indeed apply. I agree with this.

But Rogers is also charging roaming fees, e.g. RLH, in this case when, as you said, it treats the calls/texts as originating in Canada (so no roaming).

And why is Rogers not charging roaming fees when calling a Canadian number when on Wi-Fi Calling outside of Canada?

In both cases, the phone is physically located outside of Canada. On Wi-Fi Calling Rogers should not charge roaming fees for either call (correct and fair, in my opinion), or should charge for both type of calls (yes, as you said, providing a service, but unfair, in my opinion).

Do you see where my confusion stems from?

[LordDrakkon]

There are two waya to deal with WiFi Calling. If you are using it in a roaming situation, like I am currently. If you don't want to incur roaming fees. Make sure the device is put in Airplane Mode and then turn on WiFi so WiFi Calling turns on. WiFi has the ability to hand off a call to cellular seemlessly without any notifixation when that WiFi signal becomes weak or the WiFi speeds are less than optimal. When that call is handed off to cellular, it will not hand the call back to WiFi Calling, if the cell signal is very weak. This is how you get slapped with roaming fees. If the device is in Airplane Mode, you ensure the call is solely over WiFi amd not being handed off.

[MichaelYYZ]

That I know, too. Thanks.

I am not sure if you've read Rogers' page that I posted above, though. The page is only about Wi-Fi calls placed whilst being outside of Canada. It is not about calls made on third-party cellular network.

Rogers says:

• If the Wi-Fi call is made to a non-Canadian number -> roaming charges apply;
• It is hence implied that Wi-Fi calls made to Canadian numbers are not subjected to roaming charges.

[fgfgf]

So you would prefer that Rogers do the same as Bell and Telus, and set things up so they can charge roaming and/or long distance for ALL calls/texts made outside Canada?

At least when wifi calling works, you can call/text Canadian numbers for no extra cost.

@LordDrakkon's advice is correct.  If your intention is to do things with wifi only, lock out the possibilities for your phone to switch to the foreign mobile network.  If it does, you will get dinged for the roaming charge.

[MichaelYYZ]

I am sorry, @fgfgf, but may I gently suggest that you read my initial comment first, so that you might be able to provide a relevant response, if applicable? To make matters simple, the essence of my post was questioning this:

"...if a user is using Wi-Fi Calling outside of Canada:

• [...]
• The user will be charged roaming fees if calling a non-Canadian number."

[enervant]

I totally agree! It is definitely not fair.

For people that don’t get this, let me make it easier for you:

I have a Canada & US plan with free calls to Canada and US.

When I am in Canada using the cell network/tower and call a US number - no charge as per plan.
When I am in Canada on Wifi Calling and call a US number - no charge as per plan.
When I am in the UK on Wifi Calling (airplane mode) and call a US number - I GET CHARGED ROAMING FEES.

So basically: Rogers monitors the IP of the Wifi network you connect to and assigns roaming charges accordingly for any non-Canadian number you call.
I used to use Telus Wifi calling overseas by connecting to a VPN router set for Canada (canadian IP) so Telus would think I’m in Canada and let me use Wifi calling but it was overkill.
So yeah Rogers is better than Telus / Bell / Koodo /Virgin / etc. in this respect but, for instance, Freedom and Videotron have no such restrictions and charge no roaming whatsoever when you use Wifi calling overseas. I don’t expect Rogers will change this anytime soon though.

[LordDrakkon]

That isn't exactly correct. I make calls using WiFi Calling in the US and on aircraft to US and Canadian numbers without any charges. My plan includes calling to the US so that isn't billable because it is included in my plan. If you don't have US Calling included in your plan and you are placing a call to the US, whether on WiFi or not. That call is billable at whatever the rate is.

[MichaelYYZ]

@enervant : You are indeed correct. I am not sure why Rogers makes it overly complicated. On Wi-Fi Calling either don’t charge roaming/RLH whatsoever, since we are effectively still on the Rogers network (“Rogers W-Fi”) - and we will love you even more - or charge roaming/RLH all the time on Wi-Fi Calling (like Bell and Telus do) - and we will not like it like we don’t like their approach.

Sadly, it appears some people on this board could not resists posting, without apparently understanding the issue in question. (It’s about roaming/RLH charges, not long distance charges.)

[enervant]

Does your plan perhaps include both calling and roaming to the US. Mine does. In that case you would see no roaming charge when using wifi calling in the US. Try it somewhere else and report back.

[enervant]

I hear thy, hopefully so does Rogers.

[LordDrakkon]

It does. However I have used WiFi Calling in Mexico and while on a cruise to the Caribbean and have never been charged. My plan has no calling or roaming to those destinations. I keep my device in Airplane Mode when traveling and usually bring a second device to get a local SIM, if I think I am going to want to use my mobile a lot.

Just turning off roing in your devices settings is not enough to stop the device from connecting to local towers. Once your device connects to a local tower, roaming is charged.

[enervant]

Well, alight then,  I guess you're lucky.

Maybe it means Rogers is not consistent with the way they charge for roaming, or maybe you only called Canadian numbers from Mexico or cruise.

I'm being charged according to Rogers' terms posted by MichaelYYZ at the start of this thread.

This is from my last month's bill:

Plan details (Canada+US calling):

Charged for WIFI Roaming (WRO) for calling a US number (360) / Washington while travelling to Nepal (phone in airplane mode):

[Pauly]

Over a decade ago, I went on vacation to the Caribbean. This was when Wi-Fi was not commonly available in resorts and guest rooms.  I found a spot in the resort where there was public Wi-Fi and connected it, and it got connected. My cell connection was disabled, but once I connected to the WiFi, I was able to make and receive calls "Back Home"

I am from Toronto, My Wife and I were able to call our families back in Toronto for free without calling cards or expensive hotel phone connection charges  or expensive cellular long distance charges.  Even my wife was skeptical of this with me but I am not just an average Joe, I am highly knowledge in how the phone networks operate, and it's because of this knowledge how I make my decisions.

I would not use Wifi calling anymore though because of the way phones are made now a days it is much easier for the carrier to determine your location and gives them more excuses to bill you accordingly.

I suspect that they have since added Geographic restrictions so Wi-Fi calling only works in Canada, maybe they never had the technology to restrict it to canada before so even though it "Worked" outside of Canada, there was no guarantee to confirm your location and bill you accordingly.

Either way, even if you DO get it to work outside of Canada, Why in their right mind would people be using it to call international calling? People are very bold these days with where they make calls to while they are on vacation, what happened to keeping it simple? restrict your usage when abroad?  people seem to think they  can do whatever they want when using their phone in other countries outside of canada? 

[enervant]

"Either way, even if you DO get it to work outside of Canada, Why in their right mind would people be using it to call international calling? People are very bold these days with where they make calls to while they are on vacation, what happened to keeping it simple? restrict your usage when abroad?  people seem to think they  can do whatever they want when using their phone in other countries outside of Canada? "

Got it. Next time I will send a telegram.

The point MichaelYYZ and myself were trying to make is that it should not matter to Rogers where the WIFI network is located. They should treat WIFI calling the same whether their customer is in Canada or abroad. The WIFI is used at no cost to Rogers and Rogers only incurs cost when the signal/data stream gets routed through their towers in Canada. As I said Freedom and Videotron don't charge roaming in these situations.

Canada/US plans are more common these days and the workforce has become more mobile. I may be wrong but it is the 21st century isn't it? And if we don't call these guys out they won't change a thing.

That's it from me on this topic.

[LordDrakkon]

I only call numbers on Canada and the US. When on WiFi Calling, my device is treated like my calls are originating from Canada, so included. Never encured any roaming fees. If I am in Mexico and using WiFi Calling to call a number in Mexico. I would expect to be charged the cost of the call from Canada to Mexico because that call is outside of my calling plan. I travel a lot and am outside of Canada from at least a few months to half a year.

[MichaelYYZ]

From what you posted they charged you LD. Did they also charge you RLH (it would be $15/day from Nepal)? On Wi-Fi Calling you were NOT roaming on another WSP’s network. 

Although, IMO they should not have charged you LD either, since on Wi-Fi Calling you were located in Canada (virtually). Call Rogers, maybe, and dispute the charge. 

[LordDrakkon]

I would say the difference for me at least with that, is I do not allow location on my device and I don't allow my timezone to change as I travel on my device. I don't have apps like Google Maps on my s23 Ultra and I am on top of apps trying to access permissions they don't tell me they have. Even the Emergency Alert annoyance has been removed from my device because Ontario and Toronto don't seem to get that once or twice with 10 minutes is between is fine but not spamming everyone every 30 seconds like they do is absolutely not okay.

[enervant]

Looks like the charges are:

$0 under LD/Other charges

$3 under Airtime charges

and the call type is WRO (WIFI Voice/Video Roaming)

So, as I see it, the charge is for roaming but I don't have Roam Like Home enabled and in this case they charge roaming per minute. I called that number by mistake... I keep forgetting it's a US number 🙂

[Pauly]

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@LordDrakkon wrote:
I would say the difference for me at least with that, is I do not allow location on my device and I don't allow my timezone to change as I travel on my device.

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You may not even realize it but even if you connect to a foreign cell network for a split second, and turn off your network connection, the billing system knows your location. the only way to tell it your back at home is to turn on the cellular connection when you are back in canada.   the cell network is far different from the phones location setting.

Roam like home is very complex and confusing, the only way to beat unwanted charges? dont use your cellular phone plan in another country, use google meet, or whats app or other 3rd party apps, and have air plane mode on and take out the sim to be safe