For Aussies keeping their eyes on industry updates for news on VoLTE, a lot has been going on recently.
Telstra and Vodafone Australia are both offering subscribers access to VoLTE, over their respective 4G networks.
Optus while lagging behind the pack is soon to announce the launch of their VoLTE service.
This will be done once their current trials are completed.
But for those of us not in the know, what does VoLTE mean and what actually is it?
VoLTE or also known as Voice Over LTE, allows users to make and receive HD voice calls, over the 4G mobile networks.
Telstra was the first national carrier to offer this service to their subscribers, with Vodafone quickly following.
But once again it seems that Optus is playing catchup.
For Optus this is becoming a frequently recurring theme, as they are constantly trying to one-up Telstra.
What is VoLTE and how does it work?
As the name VoLTE implies, Voice over LTE allows Aussies to make and receive high quality voice calls.
By using the national 4G mobile network spectrum, which supports the VoLTE protocols.
The difference being that calls sent over VoLTE, use the 4G spectrum, rather than the traditional voice networks.
When you make a call you may notice that there is often a slight drop in call quality.
This is often depending on the network used at the time of connection.
This tends to occur as mobile data is sent over the 4G networks, where voice traffic still goes over the 2G and 3G networks.
VoLTE instead sends the HD voice calls over the 4G networks, acting in the same way as data is sent.
The benefits of this is that call quality can be greatly improved.
Traditionally when we make a call, we need to ensure that we are doing so from an area with good connectivity.
VoLTE will result in better call quality
This now means that you no longer need to traditional connectivity, to ensure high quality calls are sent or received.
Thanks to VoLTE working over the 4G networks, calls can be made with a much higher level of quality.
Calls made over VoLTE connect faster than traditional voice calls, with connection times as fast as 2-3 seconds.
VoLTE also enables you to be connected to the 4G network at all times.
This is as traditionally once a call would be made, you would be dropped off the 4G network.
VoLTE preserves your connection, allowing you to stay connected to 4G at all times.
At the moment only Telstra and Vodafone Australia are offering their subscribers VoLTE services.
Telstra is also looking at rolling out a number of additional services for their existing subscribers.
These additional services are set to include video calling over LTE (which means the 4G networks).
They will also be introducing the ability to seamlessly change between VoLTE and WiFi calling.
Which network carriers are offering VoLTE?
For Telstra subscribers, VoLTE is the next generation in calling technology.
Connected users on the Telstra 4G and 4GX mobile networks can take advantage of this technology.
Telstra also allows subscribers to make voice calls, between a VoLTE device and a Telstra NBN service.
This is possible as Telstra has rolled out VoLTE for postpaid, prepaid and business customers.
Vodafone Australia has commenced the roll-out of VoLTE nationwide on their network, since December 2015 of last year.
Vodafone had started initially offering the service to users on postpaid services and other selected plans.
Subscribers will need to be using a compatible Samsung, iPhone or Sony device.
It has been reported that Vodafone Australia has also been looking into offering video calls on the VoLTE service.
Optus has announced that progress of the roll-out so far is in the “well advanced” stages.
The national carrier is currently still testing VoLTE and has successfully conducted test calls over their network.
Is VoLTE as good a thing as it sounds?
With all the advanced features and functionality that VoLTE brings users, is it as good as it sounds?
The biggest problem with VoLTE at the moment is compatibility and that’s a pretty big deal.
Compatibility is pretty low at the moment, as not all mobile phones support the new technology.
The latest generation smartphones from Apple, Samsung and Sony are fine and work quite well.
But most Australians are using older mobile phones and it’s these ones that are not supported.
To take advantage of VoLTE you need to be using an iPhone 6 series or the Samsung Galaxy S6 series.
Both of these devices are supported by the Telco’s Vodafone Australia and Telstra.
Network interoperability is also going to be a big issue for yet quite some time to come.
The problem in Australia is that the Telstra 4G and 4Gx network supports VoLTE quite well.
Vodafone Australia in select areas is the same, but Optus has nothing set up yet, still in their trial and testing phase.
For consumers trying to make VoLTE calls across networks, there will be noticeable differences in call quality.
Coverage for VoLTE in Australian cities is world class, but problems start to begin when moving outside those areas.
As the roll-outs continue, this will no doubt change and coverage will expand quickly.
In Conclusion
The VoLTE roll-out in Australia, across the 4G networks, for the most part is still a work in progress.
The national carrier Telstra is naturally leading the pack when it comes to compatibility.
When it comes to the other two carriers, Optus and Vodafone Australia, things are moving at a much slower pace.
To really take advantage of VoLTE in Australia, you are going to need to be on the Telstra 4G network.
VoLTE in Australia is still in it’s infancy, so unless you have a modern supported smartphone, you won’t be likely to receive crystal clear calls.
But it won’t be that long before VoLTE becomes the standard way in which we all make and receive phone calls.