Verizon Wireless has requested a waiver from the FCC so it can eventually offer WiFi calling to its customers.
The waiver is needed because TTY services, which carriers are obligated to offer, are not reliable over WiFi. As such, Verizon will need to replace TTY with real-time text (RTT) in order to remain compliant with the law.
Verizon’s request follows similar actions taken by rival AT&T. The FCC granted AT&T’s waiver request earlier this month and the carrier subsequently launched WiFi calling on the iPhone.
Sprint and T-Mobile have both offered WiFi calling for about a year, though neither requested a waiver from the FCC. Verizon didn’t say how quickly it expects to bring WiFi calling to its handsets.
