T-Mobile rolled out VoLTE service to the Seattle area today, allowing T-Mobile customers who own a LG G Flex, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 or Galaxy Light the ability to experience clear voice calls like never before. VoLTE – or Voice over LTE if you will – routes voice calls over the same radio frequency, opening up bandwidth which results in faster connection times and higher call quality. Here are the nitty-gritty technical details on VoLTE from T-Mobile’s CTO Neville Ray:
“VoLTE calls will be carried over IP on our LTE network instead of a circuit-switched path on our 4G HSPA+ network. This is advantageous because your phone stays on our wicked fast LTE network to make a call. The tricky bit in all this is the smooth mobility between our various radio layers. Enhanced Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (eSRVCC) is a new LTE Advanced function and we’re excited to be the first to deploy it in the U.S. All of this basically helps ensure that your capable phone won’t drop a call if you leave an LTE area and it switches to 4G HSPA+ or 2G coverage.”
VoLTE first appeared on MetroPCS back in 2012, and has been a point of focus for major carriers across the country. AT&T will begin its VoLTE rollout to selected markets tomorrow, May 23rd. Talk of Verizon’s VoLTE has been rampant for over three years now, although Big Red is showing no signs of rolling out the tech soon.
Seattle is only the beginning for T-Mobile; the magenta carrier will roll out VoLTE to more markets in the near future.