Kazakhstan’s Altel is extending Wi-Fi Calling beyond the home network and into international roaming, giving selected customers a way to make and receive normal phone calls abroad even when local mobile coverage is weak or unavailable.

The operator began testing the roaming version of the service on August 26, 2026. When cellular coverage disappears but Wi-Fi is available, a compatible smartphone can route the call over Wi-Fi while keeping the customer’s regular Altel number and native phone dialler. No separate calling app is required.

That matters in ordinary travel situations: hotel rooms with poor indoor signal, basement conference venues, airports with patchy coverage, or buildings where the local roaming partner simply does not reach well.

Calls without the roaming-minute hit

The most interesting part of Altel’s implementation is the pricing.

According to the operator, Wi-Fi calls made while roaming are charged under the customer’s domestic tariff. If the plan includes a bundle of calling minutes, the Wi-Fi call uses those minutes instead of consuming minutes from a roaming package.

In other words, the Wi-Fi connection is the access network, but the call still behaves like an operator-managed voice service.

READ MORE: WiFi Calling Using Travel eSIMs: Is it supported?

This is different from simply opening WhatsApp, FaceTime Audio or Telegram. Those services use data and require an app-based calling experience. Wi-Fi Calling keeps the normal phone-number experience: users dial and answer through the smartphone’s standard calling interface.

For travelers who still rely on voice calls to banks, airlines, offices, family members or customer-service numbers, that distinction is useful.

Still a controlled test

Altel is not describing this as a full commercial rollout yet. The service is available only to some customers in test mode while the operator evaluates performance and demand.

Altel is explicit about the pilot status: “Wi-Fi Calling is a new service; we are continuing to test it and assess customer interest.”

That caution makes sense. Wi-Fi Calling relies on more than a Wi-Fi connection alone. The handset, software, SIM profile and operator provisioning all need to support the feature correctly.

READ MORE: Add-on or eSIM: Which is Right for You? 

Altel had already introduced Wi-Fi Calling domestically earlier in 2026 to improve coverage in homes, offices and other indoor “white spots”. At the time, it said roaming support would come later. The August test is the next stage of that rollout.

One area where Altel could improve the experience is device eligibility. A public, regularly updated list of supported smartphones and software versions would remove guesswork before departure.

How to activate Altel Wi-Fi Calling abroad

Altel says customers in the test group need to complete three steps:

1. Dial *292# from the Altel number and activate Wi-Fi Calling from the menu.
2. Enable Wi-Fi Calling in the phone settings.
3. Open the Altel app and make sure the “Roaming” service is active.

So this is not a replacement for roaming configuration; it is an additional way to deliver voice when cellular access is weak.

A complement, not a universal travel fix

Wi-Fi Calling solves a specific problem well: maintaining normal voice service when Wi-Fi is available but mobile coverage is not.

It does not solve everything. Travelers still need mobile data when they leave Wi-Fi coverage, and anyone primarily using messaging, maps, ride-hailing or mobile work will still need a roaming data package, local SIM or travel eSIM.

READ MORE: eSIMs vs. Local SIM Cards: Which Option Wins?

Public Wi-Fi quality can also vary dramatically. A poor or congested connection can undermine call quality just as easily as weak cellular coverage.

For data-first travelers, an eSIM may therefore be the more important purchase. For customers who need their home number reachable throughout the trip, Wi-Fi Calling and a data solution can work together rather than competing.

Conclusion

Altel’s roaming test is more interesting than it first appears because it reflects a broader shift in operator thinking: roaming no longer has to depend entirely on the visited mobile network.

Large operators already use Wi-Fi Calling internationally, but pricing models vary. AT&T ties many international Wi-Fi calls to its roaming options, while Verizon allows calls back to the US over Wi-Fi without additional charge but applies international long-distance pricing to calls to other countries. Altel’s decision to treat roaming Wi-Fi calls like domestic-plan calls is therefore a notably simple proposition.

The bigger opportunity is continuity. Travelers increasingly move between hotel Wi-Fi, airport Wi-Fi, local mobile networks, travel eSIMs and home-operator services. The winners will be operators that make those transitions invisible.

Altel is not there yet; the service is still a limited test, and clearer device guidance would strengthen it. But the direction is right. Instead of treating Wi-Fi as a rival to cellular roaming, Altel is using it as another access layer for the same customer relationship. That is where modern roaming is heading.