Does HughesNet support Wi-Fi calling?

Wi-Fi calling refers to the ability to use a Wi-Fi Internet connection to make voice calls instead of the mobile telecommunications network. This can be of great help, especially to those people who reside in areas with poor network signals on their cell phones. Wi-Fi calling is a feature that lets users have call quality phone calls where there is a stable Wi-Fi connection.

However, one important question remains: does HughesNet satellite internet allow for the use of Wi-Fi calling? Let us do this closely.

What is HughesNet?

HughesNet is among the leading companies that deal in the provision of satellite internet services in the United States. Satellite internet is a form of internet service that uses a satellite dish to send data from a small dish installed at a home or business to a satellite in space and vice versa.

Satellite internet like HughesNet does not depend on cable or fiber optic structures, so it is possible to offer high-speed broadband connection to people who live in rural or other hard-to-reach areas where cable and fiber internet is unavailable. However, internet from satellite has also been reported to have some drawbacks compared to terrestrial internet service providers despite being more accessible.

The main disadvantages of satellite internet are:

• High Latency – The time taken for the signal to reach out to space and then come back will result in latencies while operating on the internet.
• Limited bandwidth – like most Internet service providers, satellite providers have allocated amounts of data that can be used every month with additional fees for exceeding that amount.
• Data caps - Capping data is another method that can be used to regulate speeds after the consumption of a certain amount of data within the month.
• Weather interference – sometimes, depending on the weather, satellites might be blocked from sending signals entirely or for a few hours.

Suppose I am wondering whether HughesNet supports native Wi-Fi calling.

Currently, principal mobile operators like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have joined the Wi-Fi calling bandwagon by employing their cellular networks. Specifically, their Wi-Fi calling solution is not confined to using a special application and enables one to make the call over the Wi-Fi network if the cellular one is poor.

In any case, HughesNet satellite internet does NOT support Wi-Fi calling services based on carrier support. One very important thing you need to know is that you cannot use Wi-Fi calling available from your mobile provider over HughesNet satellite internet.

This could be attributed to the higher latency and over-limit data charges that accompany satellite internet service providers as compared to other ground-based internet service providers. Satellite internet services have a high latency and are also not stable and this can affect the quality of the calls being made. It is noted that there are quite rigid prerequisites for supporting native Wi-Fi calling on a network in the case of mobile carriers.

Is HughesNet Compatible with Third Party Apps for Wi-Fi Calling?

Even though HughesNet does not have an option where they support Wi-Fi calling through your mobile carrier, it does not mean that you cannot make Wi-Fi calls. However, today it is possible to make Wi-Fi calls over any internet connection with the help of third-party apps and services, including satellite ones.

Some popular options for apps that enable Wi-Fi calling over HughesNet include:

• WhatsApp – The communication application known as ‘WhatsApp’ has opened its Messenger platform to allow free Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling to any person using the application.
• Skype – Initially, Skype was an application meant for wireless calling. While tailored for video calls, you can just use it for voice calls, if necessary.
• Facebook Messenger – The messaging app by the social networking site Facebook where one can make free calls to any other Facebook user over any kind of internet connection.
• Google Voice – It is a VoIP product of Google through which voice calls are made as well as received through an application and a phone number connected to the company’s network.
• Signal – The encrypted Signal app, which has only had messaging until now, adds support for voice and Wi-Fi video calls.

The beauty of these third-party calling options is that they harness internet and Wi-Fi for the connection and call forwarding by default. As a result, they are designed to give reasonable call quality on the connections that are available with the satellite Internet. However, due to latency issues as well as throttling which is characteristic of HughesNet, call reliability can still be a problem. Still, it can be employed in most cases – at least if the call does not require video or a rich set of gestures.

The major drawback of Wi-Fi calling via a specific application is that it is possible to connect only the users of the communication application. However, the only people you can call are those who also have the said application on their phones. Native Wi-Fi calling through the retail mobile operator’s network is done using a regular wireless phone number and contacts.

Using VoIP Calling Devices

Another method of Wi-Fi calling on HughesNet is to use a separate VoIP, or voice-over IP, a device that is connected to your home Wi-Fi. For example:

• Obi Voice over IP phones are telecommunications tools that help in the provision of VoIP services.
• Nest home devices of Google
• Amazon Echo Dot smart speakers are currently priced at $49. 99 for a single speaker and $119 for a three-speaker pack.

These devices are equipped with their applications or with a virtual phone line. What this means is that by connecting your home phones to your Wi-Fi, you are using your HughesNet satellite internet connection to make and receive VoIP calls directly through your home landline apparatus.

The quality of the call primarily depends on the clarity of the connection with HughesNet and the lack of network latency or congestion. However, when the satellite signal performance is reasonable, a VoIP device can provide home phone service at relatively reasonable quality.

Can I Depend on Wi-Fi Calling When Using HughesNet?

As a result, it is possible to make Wi-Fi calling over HughesNet satellite internet although this can be done using third-party applications or through VoIP equipment as explained above. However, call reliability and quality are impacted by the inherent limitations of satellite internet:

• Latency results in delayed voice, and jerky movement, and the virtual assistant hears echoes.
• Consumers complain of high levels of call drops and call interferences due to network congestion
• Restricted data is used for browsing meaning that data usage will be deducted from the restrictive data allowance.
• Signal outages occur when the signal is interfered with by some natural events such as bad weather.

Thus, it can be concluded that although Wi-Fi calling is still workable over HughesNet satellite if the conditions are right, on the whole, it may have more problems than using Wi-Fi calling over ground-based broadband. Some important things that probably should be understood by users making a try to perform voice calls through satellite networks are:

Tips on How Wi-Fi Calling Can Be Made to Work Better with HughesNet

If you want to use Wi-Fi calling apps and devices with your HughesNet service, here are some tips to get the best performance:

• It is recommended to install your satellite dish in a free-view area towards the direction of the southern sky where satellites are located. Sheltered locations also should be avoided to prevent trees and buildings from diminishing the strength of the signal.
• Avoid other data-intensive activities during the Wi-Fi calls to prevent overcrowding of the network thus slow speeds. Larges downloads and video streaming can interfere with a voice call.
• Setting up bandwidth preferences in your HughesNet router based on Quality of Service (QoS) should be done to ensure that voice data has preference over other forms of data. The quality of service makes certain that your call will be given priority.
• It is always advisable to switch to a higher plan HughesNet Gen5 for those who have higher priority to data and who need faster connection as compared to standard plans.
• If possible, connect the external modem that came with the HughesNet service to your Wi-Fi router through an Ethernet cable instead of using the satellite transmitter’s onboard Wi-Fi signal alone.

Thus, there are apps, softphones, and devices out there that enable you to make voice calls over your HughesNet satellite internet connection if the need arises. However, the reliability cannot reach Wi-Fi calls on a low-latency fiber optic or even cable network. That is, as the satellite internet technology progresses along with the new-gen services such as SpaceX Starlin with features of low latency and faster speed, Wi-Fi calling capability may reach the level of landline internet. But for now, just consider the expectations of success rate when making voice calls over geostationary satellite connections. Thus, with the best networking conditions and correct approach to troubleshooting, Wi-Fi calling can be only quite reliable via HughesNet satellite, but this is going to need much more work than in the case of a regular home internet connection based on terrestrial links.