1. Cell phone service providers are now offering Wi-Fi Calling as a standard feature on smart phones. With this feature, smart phone voice and text works in the aircraft allowing users to make and receive calls and text messages on their personal devices during all phases of flight. This feature not only works on the aircraft but anywhere the cell phone has weak coverage such as at home, in the office and even in metal buildings.
2. AirSatOne’s FlightStream products are configured by default to allow Wi-Fi Calling to seamlessly pass through the satellite network and our infrastructure.
3. Wi-Fi Calling allows phone calls and text messaging to and from smart phones by using a Wi-Fi network instead of a cellular network.
4. With Wi-Fi Calling, smart phones now have coverage where there is weak or no cell coverage including onboard aircraft equipped with a Satcom system with at least 200 kbps and a Wi-Fi router.
5. The Wi-Fi Calling feature means that when a call is placed to the cell phone number of someone on the aircraft the phone will ring just as it would on the ground.
6. Carrier-branded Wi-Fi Calling has the software baked directly into the phone's dialer, so you don't need to fire up an app or connect to a 3rd party service to use it. When the device is on the aircraft and loses cell coverage, it will automatically switch to Wi-Fi calling.
7. Calls and text messages can be made, in the aircraft, from the smart phone using your existing contacts or via manual entry. Phone calls can also be made by launching the call from an email with a phone number or a web page that has recognizable phone numbers.
8. Flight crews can use their existing phone book and program phone numbers for ATC, FBO’s, Maintenance Facilities, OEM Support or other specialized contacts.
9. Built in Wi-Fi Calling in smartphones use a technology called AMR Wideband (AMR-WB). AMR stands for Adaptive Multi-Rate, which is an audio codec with compression optimized for speech coding. AMR-WB supports dynamic adaptation to network conditions usinglower bit rates during network congestion or degradation while preserving audio quality. The technology used in smartphone Wi-Fi calling will make adjustments based on the Wi-Fi network it is connected to. Aircraft Satcom systems have limited bandwidth, which is detected by the AMR software so calls are automatically adjust to a lower bit rate, which uses less data.
10. Wi-Fi calls use data. Billing is at the standard per MB rate according to the customer’s monthly, quarterly or yearly package.
Instructions:
1. Contact AirSatOne to get FlightStream SA active if you do not have it already. FlightStream SA cost $0, provides compression and allows Wi-Fi calling to seamlessly pass through the network. Another option is to incorporate our FlightStream AOC Wi-Fi router, which provides compression and is set by factory default to allow Wi-Fi Calling to seamlessly pass through the satellite network.
2. Activate Wi-Fi Calling through your cell phone service provider. To get Wi-Fi Calling activated the smartphone must have a compatible Apple iOS or Android operating systems. Check with your provider to see which phones currently support Wi-Fi Calling.
3. For more information, visit your carriers Wi-Fi Calling information page. See following page for links to cell phone providers.
Wi-Fi Calling links to cell phone carriers
Air Sat One Frequently Asked Questions
To the left, you'll find a selection of some our most frequently asked questions. Feel free to browse our listing here before submitting a ticket or contacting us directly.
