Optus customers with mobile reception issues who have been using Optus’ 3G Home Zone technology, are being asked to migrate to Optus’ Wi-Fi calling option; with Optus announcing today that the 3G Home Zone service will shutting down at the end of this month.
The 3G Home Zone is a base station which attaches to customers home broadband router, offering up to 5 bars of 3G reception in homes where mobile reception has been troublesome. The 3G Home Zone service will shut down officially on the 31st of March, meaning customers have a few weeks to transition to Wi-Fi calling.
Wi-Fi calling was introduced on Optus last August, with Optus customers able to install an app on their phone and make calls using their home Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi calling will hand off to the Optus mobile network once within range of a tower.
The app will of course use your home broadband data cap, though Optus advised at the launch of Wi-Fi calling that data usage is minimal. Optus estimates that their Wi-Fi calling uses around 300 kB/min when making a call, and around 80 kB/hour when the app is running in the background.
It is of course a bit of double dipping here, with Optus using your home data plan as well as charging you on your monthly mobile plan for any TXT or Calls you make from your phone on Wi-Fi calling. The only upside is that you continue to use your phone as normal.
Optus is advising customers with a 3G Home Zone that they do not require the unit sent back to them, asking them to dispose of the hardware responsibly as they ‘would any other small electrical appliance’.
The Optus Wi-Fi Calling app is available for download now from Google Play.
Great!! The only reason I went with Optus years ago, was due to living in a “dead zone”, but get full coverage via their Femtocell (Home Zone)….now they pull the pin……”no problem, use Wi-Fi App”….small problem….I have a OnePlusOne handset…incompatible with Wi-Fi App (and “Optus Cash as I found out last year!!)…..so I’m stuffed!! Only carrier with a signal in part of the home is Telstra, so I guess that’s where’ll I’ll head. They did offer (for an extra $10pm to sign a new 24mth contract & get a “new handset” from S5, Iphone 5, HTC, Oppo R7 (out of… Read more »
if I remember you still cannot send MMS via this method. standard sms OS OK
Thats not true, you can still send SMS however this wont sync up with your phone. May look like another chat applications.
I suggest you read it slowly. I said MMS messages. SMS is ok
Think you’ll find you’re both right. Binesh is talking the ‘home zone’ product, with phantom is talking the wifi calling.
I am not talking about home zone. As Binesh is talking about I am talking about Wi-Fi calling . you can send and receive SMS but not MMS. I have had home zone for many years and when it’s working is very good . but you are limited to the area of the home zone. I suggested many years ago what we need is a collections of devices that can connect your phone and allows you to have full service. I live in an area that Optus deems as a dead zone. so home zone has been a godsend to… Read more »