*This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Sprint has had Wi-Fi calling enabled on select iPhone models since April.
Apple users on the AT&T network may soon have access to Wi-Fi calling with the next operating system upgrade, according to VentureBeat.
If the beta version of iOS 9 released to developers Thursday is any indication, the update will include support for customers of the network to make Wi-Fi calls.
The move to Wi-Fi provides an avenue for carriers to offload traffic from their data networks and give consumers a cheaper, more reliable connection.
T-Mobile has offered the option to Andriod users since 2007 and also made the feature available to iPhone customers with iOS 8 within the last year. Under the Un-Carrier’s Simple Choice plan, calls made using a Wi-Fi connection are deducted from the users monthly plan minutes, but calls received are free. Text and picture messages sent and received within the U.S. over Wi-Fi are also free.
Sprint made the service available in April of this year to users of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.
“We view Wi-Fi calling, which we plan to launch in 2015, as a complement to our great network coverage,” an AT&T spokesperson said via email on Friday.
The latest iOS release also includes a “Wi-Fi Assist feature that will prevent an iPhone from connecting to a Wi-Fi network if the network’s signal doesn’t meet a certain strength standard,” Venturebeat said.
Filed Under: Carriers, Devices
