Verizon: VoLTE coming end of 2013, in testing now
updated 04:29 pm EDT, Tue October 9, 2012
End-to-end QoS said to deliver clear calls
In a media conference call today, Verizon's Nicola Palmer confirmed that the carrier is indeed working on Voice-over-LTE capability, and the company plans to roll out the feature late next year. Verizon is reportedly continuing to test the service, which has been in the works for some time now. Estimates made earlier in this year pegged Verizon's VoLTE service as arriving in early 2013, though Palmer's latest statements disprove those predictions.
As its name implies, VoLTE is the use of an LTE data connection to transmit voice calls. Verizon has been working on the technology at least since 2010, and the carrier has previously estimated that it would be releasing such a feature as early as 2012. Now, though, Palmer states that the feature is "in testing" and that Verizon has deployed all of the infrastructure that will be necessary for it.
Much of the rest of the call was dedicated to touting Verizon's accomplishments in the 4G sector. The carrier's 4G network will cover the entirety of its current 3G footprint by the end of 2013, and Verizon expects to open its 400th 4G market by the end of October, several weeks ahead of schedule.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: 07-13-09
This has to be the singularly DUMBEST thing about LTE. That it was ratified as a standard without the voice component. So now everybody will have their own VoLTE method and we're back to carrier-specific phones again. Just so carriers can fleece us a little more.