VoLTE (Voice over LTE)
| Realising revenue potential with Voice over LTE |
What is VoLTE?
VoLTE stands for ‘Voice over Long Term Evolution‘. Utilising IMS technology, it is a digital packet voice service delivered over IP via an LTE access network.
Voice calls over LTE are recognised as the industry-agreed progression of voice services across mobile networks, deploying LTE radio access technology.
Who is VoLTE valuable for?
- Operators
- OEMs
- Network vendors
- Partners
- Consumers
What are the benefits of VoLTE?
The implementation of VoLTE offers many benefits, both in terms of cost and operation. VoLTE:
- Provides more efficient use of spectrum than traditional Voice
- Meets the rising demand for ‘Richer’, more reliable services
- Eliminates the need to have Voice on one network and data on another
- Unlocks new revenue potential, utilising IMS as the common service platform
- Can be deployed in parallel with video calls over LTE and RCS multimedia services, including video share, multimedia messaging, chat and file transfer
- Increases handset battery life by 40 per cent (compared with VoIP)
- Delivers an unusually crisp calling experience
- Provides rapid call establishment time
What is the GSMA doing to help with VoLTE deployment?
Our goal is to achieve a consistent, industry-wide approach to delivering services for LTE. They will embody the following principles:
- Promote scale. For VoLTE/video calls over LTE implementation to work, this needs to be based on a single technology and not undermined by fragmentation or diversity. It must work throughout a community of 6 billion+ connections (and growing) and across all networks and devices.
- Reduce complexity. A common implementation, adhered to by all, would allow messages and media to be delivered in the best way. Providing consumers with the best quality experience. However, lack of common deployments between networks can detract from the overall quality of the voice/messaging service (e.g. end-to-end HD voice).
- Enable Interconnect and Roaming. Seamless roaming can be optimised in the all-IP world. That is if all parties adhere to a single, common implementation of interfaces between every device and network.
These three principles will underpin how Voice, SMS and RCS will work in the future. They will define the interfaces for end-to-end calling structures, which facilitate interconnect and roaming.
Discover more about Voice over LTE
For more information regarding VoLTE, explore our invaluable resources, Technical support.
“With the support of the GSMA and the Ministry of Science, ICT and future planning, The Republic of Korea were recognised as not only the first country to have launched interconnected VoLTE but also the first country to have migrated its subscriber base to be fully VoLTE interconnected between three operators.”
Sang Heon Lee, SVP, SK Telecom/Sung II Jang, General Manager/Team Leader, SK Telecom
Sung Won Yan, General Manager, KT
Kyung Joong Park, General Manager/Team Leader, LG Uplus
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