Verizon to launch nationwide VoLTE service in early 2013 Read more: Report: Verizon

[whitetigergrowl]

Verizon Wireless will launch a nationwide Voice over LTE service in early 2013, according to a report in Light Reading. Previously, Verizon executives had said the carrier would launch VoLTE in 2012.

The report, which cited unnamed sources, as well as Catharine Trebnick, a vice president at Northland Capital Markets, said that Verizon is testing VoLTE in two markets but will not conduct a nationwide rollout until early next year. The report noted, however, that Verizon could still launch VoLTE service this year before expanding it nationwide early next year.

Verizon spokeswoman Debi Lewis told FierceWireless the company continues "to work on VoLTE and its associated services, and will share more on any launch or availability plans in due course." She did not provide any further details.

Last year Verizon executives repeatedly affirmed that the company, which now covers more than 200 million POPs with LTE, would launch VoLTE in 2012. Verizon Communications CTO Tony Melone told FierceWireless in 2011 that that the reason the company is moving from CDMA voice to VoLTE is not driven by cost but because of the benefits that VoLTE offers such as providing enhanced call quality and the ability to conduct a simultaneous voice and data session. VoLTE is an IMS-based take on delivering voice via LTE that was launched by the GSMA at the 2010 Mobile World Congress trade show.

Verizon is not the only carrier moving toward VoLTE. Flat-rate carrier MetroPCS announced in October that it had completed its first VoLTE call using end-to-end commercial equipment. The carrier is still testing the technology and plans to launch VoLTE service in 2012, a spokesman told FierceWireless. MetroPCS CEO Roger Linquist has said that moving to VoLTE will allow the company to refarm its spectrum currently reserved for CDMA services. AT&T Mobility has said it is targeting 2013 for a VoLTE launch.

Read more: Report: Verizon to launch nationwide VoLTE service in early 2013 - FierceWireless http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/...#ixzz1jvMBUDur

[fraydog]

They probably need to delay it until 2013 because they want LTE to be nationwide so they don't have to deal with the brutal issue of LTE to CDMA handoffs. Probably a wise decision on Verizon's part.

[Trocks797]

So it appears it will be less of a roll out and more of a BAM! VOLTE! This is great! I will say I am unsure of the authors motive in this. Are they trying to make it look like Verizon is pushing back the launch? Verizon never said nationwide VoLTE in 2012, they said testing and a few markets in 2012. In fact, they said just that above:

The report noted, however, that Verizon could still launch VoLTE service this year before expanding it nationwide early next year.

Also, seeing as how their roll out won't be completely finished by early next year, I guess they will launch LTE and VoLTE in the areas they light up after VoLTE is up? And what's up with this line?

the reason the company is moving from CDMA voice to VoLTE is not driven by cost but because of the benefits that VoLTE offers such as providing enhanced call quality and the ability to conduct a simultaneous voice and data session.

I realize what they are trying to say, but LTE alone provides this with the CDMA network so besides enhanced voice quality, what's the difference?

This is great news for all the areas with congested CDMA areas...looks like only one more year of suffering. Now they need to give us the scoop on LTE-Advanced!

[mariol90]

I realize what they are trying to say, but LTE alone provides this with the CDMA network so besides enhanced voice quality, what's the difference?

they are probably comparing CDMA alone to LTE.

[newyork4me]

This is great news for all the areas with congested CDMA areas...looks like only one more year of suffering. Now they need to give us the scoop on LTE-Advanced!

Oh, please let them be ahead of schedule. 365 more days of 1x voice seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

I do wish they'd be a little more transparent on their roll-out plans; i.e., we know existing devices can support, but will they?

[Trocks797]

Oh, please let them be ahead of schedule. 365 more days of 1x voice seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

I do wish they'd be a little more transparent on their roll-out plans; i.e., we know existing devices can support, but will they?

I feel for ya man!! We know they are ~6 months ahead of schedule on the actual LTE roll out....perhaps this helps them plan and roll out VoLTE quicker?

And I know what you mean...I want this Nexus to support it. Which handsets support VoLTE as of late...do you know?

[cmstlist]

I realize what they are trying to say, but LTE alone provides this with the CDMA network so besides enhanced voice quality, what's the difference?

This is great news for all the areas with congested CDMA areas...looks like only one more year of suffering. Now they need to give us the scoop on LTE-Advanced!

The difference is:
- If voice and SMS are working over LTE, then the device can shut off its CDMA radio, resulting in considerably improved battery life. Just like how EDGE/UMTS devices only need to use one radio at a time.
- Spectrum usage is more efficient on LTE, so every device handled over LTE instead of CDMA frees up congested CDMA spectrum.

[johnhere]

I don't know much about volte but from what it looks like the call quality will be much closer to landline quality than the current CDMA? Is that correct? If so that will fix my only vz complaint of call quality.

[Trocks797]

The difference is:
- If voice and SMS are working over LTE, then the device can shut off its CDMA radio, resulting in considerably improved battery life. Just like how EDGE/UMTS devices only need to use one radio at a time.
- Spectrum usage is more efficient on LTE, so every device handled over LTE instead of CDMA frees up congested CDMA spectrum.

That makes sense, thanks!

[fraydog]

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=216534&

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=216524

These links give a real good idea of what's up here. Among the highlights:

CSFB (used by AT&T and Rogers among others) uses only one radio at a time to save on battery life, but falls back to HSPA+ when on a voice call and simultaneous voice and data is handled on HSPA+. Therefore the GSM operators see CSFB as an interim solution.

Where does the IMS support reside... In the OS or in the hardware itself?

SRVCC... Does the call switch when switched from LTE to 3G? Some GSM providers want this. On CDMA it is impossible, the two standards are just too different. E911 and making sure all parts of the network work in concert are other challenges that VoLTE faces.

[GSMinCT]

They probably need to delay it until 2013 because they want LTE to be nationwide so they don't have to deal with the brutal issue of LTE to CDMA handoffs. Probably a wise decision on Verizon's part.

Who cares? It would also only be leaving LTE, as coming in the phone just doesn't switch. Even then, that's a rather special case.

The difference is:
- If voice and SMS are working over LTE, then the device can shut off its CDMA radio, resulting in considerably improved battery life. Just like how EDGE/UMTS devices only need to use one radio at a time.
- Spectrum usage is more efficient on LTE, so every device handled over LTE instead of CDMA frees up congested CDMA spectrum.

Voice quality. Unfortunately, no one I know has an LTE phone, so I will still be suffering from Verizon's sucky voice quality...

[fraydog]

Who cares? It would also only be leaving LTE, as coming in the phone just doesn't switch. Even then, that's a rather special case.

People care if their call drops due to leaving a LTE service area. LTE has to be supported across the footprint so this doesn't happen.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/201...less-Networks/

[Extraordinary]

I thought they had said 2013 the first time anyway?

Either way its not that big of a deal, Dec 2012 vs Jan 2013 for example. Rather have them work out the bugs and kinks in advance (though I am sure there will be some). When AT&T launched 3G here I had hand-off issues everywhere, and there are still quite a few areas that do drop calls.

[nerdydesi]

The LG Revolution should support it considering that Verizon was demoing VOLTE on it at last year's CES.

I hope that now that voice will also be going through LTE soon, Verizon will keep on boosting capacity and backhaul as more users get it on it.

I've noticed in some rare places that LTE is disappointingly slow, aka. 4-5 mb/s. I guess I've been spoiled by 20+mb/s speeds at my home, that I get disappointed when I see LTE speeds below 10mb/s.

I remember there was a thread here recently titled "Verizon overselling their LTE network?" where it was surprisingly slow in some places like airports and sometimes not working at all.

Right now, I see ATT LTE speeds beating out Verizon's, but they have far fewer users and also aggressively throttle their unlimited data plan users, unlike Verizon. I also await Sprint's LTE network and how it performs and if they will axe unlimited data once it comes out. I have a feeling they will...

[johnhere]

Can't wait for the improved call quality.