VoLTE

**mobilewoman1** · 04-16-2012, 07:50 PM

What are the opinions on Verizon charging customers for VoLTE when it rolls out?

**Frank S** · 04-16-2012, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by mobilewoman1

What are the opinions on Verizon charging customers for VoLTE when it rolls out?

I think it should be standard with VZW service. And I believe it will. Although, I expect the first VoLTE phones will see a price jump.

-Frank

Sent using Tapatalk 2

**hwertz** · 04-16-2012, 10:15 PM

VERY unlikely. When they had the phones that supported both analog and CDMA, they treated all coverage as equal. They didn't either charge an extra price for that possibly costly analog roaming, or conversely charge extra for that digital clarity. For something like cellular service where efficiency is important, and efficiency keeps ramping up with newer handsets, it's in that companies best interest to encourage use of newer devices. Charging a VoLTE fee would go against that. The Shannon limit is fast being approached though (the theoretical maximum efficiency at carrying data), at that point the cell cos won't give a toss if your phone is 20 years old (other than wanting to keep you in contract.)

**johnhere** · 04-16-2012, 10:37 PM

Yeah I'd be surprised to see it too. Should be more efficient and that's what they want people to utilize.

**GSMinCT** · 04-16-2012, 11:03 PM

It will be the same. Will they upgrade existing LTE phones back to the Tbolt with VoLTE?

**davefrdd99** · 04-17-2012, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by mobilewoman1

What are the opinions on Verizon charging customers for VoLTE when it rolls out?

If you you have a 4g phone now you already have VoLTE. Just use Google Voice and Install the GrooveIp app on your phone. It even works sorta with 3g and is great over WIFI. Unless Big Red starts blocking apps like this how can they charge for something that just uses data and does not even need Cell Minutes ?

I am pretty sure that they will try to sell this as an enhanced HD Cell service and charge extra for it. I just think the cat is already out of the bag and if more folks realized that they already have the ability to limit there cell plans and use VOIP over there 4g or even 3g data Big red would have a hard sell to charge extra. Heck I would want a discount for using my allotted cell minutes !

**ShortSxit** · 04-17-2012, 02:48 PM

Verizon will attempt to make it VoIP an add-on feature like a hotspot. Even though it uses data and data is data, it will still have an additional cost.

**tchaika** · 04-17-2012, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by davefrdd99

If you you have a 4g phone now you already have VoLTE. Just use Google Voice and Install the GrooveIp app on your phone.

Presumably Verizon's own VoLTE would be prioritized with QoS and you wouldn't need to worry about service degradation due to network congestion. Eventually it will blur the boundary between minutes and data but for the foreseeable future I'm sure they'll keep selling it like minutes.

A better question would be how long is the CDMA network going to stick around? I recall reading that the CTO said they had plans to keep it around until at least 2019 but for the life of me I can't find a link.

**GSMinCT** · 04-17-2012, 05:33 PM

It's not going to be an add-on. Most users who are switched to it won't even notice that they were switched. They want people on LTE, and off of their CDMA 1x network, which is congested.

Some people are saying EVDO will go before CDMA, but at this rate, they will be around for a long time. They could keep limited CDMA/EVDO networks even when they start doing 850/1900 LTE, just like AT&T is keeping minimal GSM around. Bottom line: it's not going anywhere in the foreseeable future. For voice/text users, there is no reason to upgrade from CDMA 1x. It's proven technology, it works, and it will continue to work for years to come. Maybe it will eventually be totally replaced by LTE, but that time is far, far off.

**Trocks797** · 04-17-2012, 05:48 PM

I highly doubt VoLTE will cost anything more. Verizon knows their 1X network is getting congested, so moving people off this as fast as possible is a no brainer. 1X will be around until 2020ish becuase it works fine and there are over 108 million devices using it today, so that number obviously won't be zero for a long long time. Every GMC, Chevy, Lexus, Toyota and Hyundai sold today is another 1X connection on the network as well.

EVDO is a different story. Additional load on the EVDO network is not likely, as Verizon is no longer selling EVDO-only phones. Every new phone from here on out is LTE. I would guess that 2016-17 would be the timeframe in which Verizon starts decommisioning the EVDO, but since they are still expanding EVDO today, I could be way off.

All I know is with Verizon having widespread LTE speeds and LTE voice, the other carriers really need to do something to compete, and fast.

**johnhere** · 04-17-2012, 06:58 PM

The speed at which they are building out lte is def impressive.

**GSMinCT** · 04-17-2012, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Trocks797

I highly doubt VoLTE will cost anything more. Verizon knows their 1X network is getting congested, so moving people off this as fast as possible is a no brainer. 1X will be around until 2020ish becuase it works fine and there are over 108 million devices using it today, so that number obviously won't be zero for a long long time. Every GMC, Chevy, Lexus, Toyota and Hyundai sold today is another 1X connection on the network as well.

EVDO is a different story. Additional load on the EVDO network is not likely, as Verizon is no longer selling EVDO-only phones. Every new phone from here on out is LTE. I would guess that 2016-17 would be the timeframe in which Verizon starts decommisioning the EVDO, but since they are still expanding EVDO today, I could be way off.

All I know is with Verizon having widespread LTE speeds and LTE voice, the other carriers really need to do something to compete, and fast.

What reason do they have to kill off EVDO? They can keep it running on a 1.25mhz channel. They need to get people on LTE, but there are going to be current iPhones around for years.

**Trocks797** · 04-17-2012, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

What reason do they have to kill off EVDO? They can keep it running on a 1.25mhz channel. They need to get people on LTE, but there are going to be current iPhones around for years.

There is no reason. Verizon is in no need to refarm anything. At some point, there will be no need for EVDO, and Verizon has projected that time to come sooner than 1X.

**tchaika** · 04-18-2012, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Trocks797

Verizon knows their 1X network is getting congested

In which markets is the 1X network "congested"? I've been all over the United States and I've never had a call fail to go through or received "All circuits are busy" with Verizon. I took my VZW phone to Barack Obama's inauguration with millions of people on the National Mall; I was able to place and receive calls as I normally would. My friends with T-Mobile and AT&T were out of luck (they couldn't even text) but my phone worked just fine.

The only time I can ever recall difficulties with voice calls on Verizon was during the floods here in 2011. For about three hours we had to try multiple times to get calls and texts to go out. Verizon lost a number of low lying cell sites and the remainder had to pick up the slack. I believe they fixed the problem by turning off EVDO channels and using the spectrum for 1x/voice; once voice services started working again the data network was completely useless for a few days. Not really complaining about that; voice > data during a disaster.

**tchaika** · 04-18-2012, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Trocks797

EVDO is a different story. Additional load on the EVDO network is not likely, as Verizon is no longer selling EVDO-only phones. Every new phone from here on out is LTE.

Except for the iPhone, the Samsung Illusion, the LG Enlighten, the HTC Rhyme, the HTC Trophy, a bunch of Blackberries, the Droid X2, the G'zOne Commando, the Droid Pro, and a bunch of other models I don't feel like typing.