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It's been an impressive last several months when it comes to the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) market, and a host of new developments have risen up in the field. Perhaps one of the biggest of these movements is the rise of over the top (OTT) service, services that are designed to be used on mobile networks, but not offered by mobile networks specifically. OTT services may well have destroyed some network operators altogether, cutting off sources of revenue while maintaining costs. But a new development from Verizon (News - Alert) suggests that this may not be the case much longer as its new Advanced Calling 1.0 may well give it the edge it needs.

The market for mobile video calling has been around for quite some time, ever since Apple (News - Alert) got a start in the field with FaceTime. Plenty of others got into the fray since then, of course, with Skype and ooVoo and even Facebook and Google walking in, but FaceTime (News - Alert) for many was still the first and the best. But Advanced Calling 1.0, meanwhile, looks to shake up an already unstable market by introducing what may not only be the best entry in the market, but the best entry for the Verizon network.

First, of course, is that the program is free. Advanced Calling 1.0 can be had for no additional cost, though indeed use of the program is charged against a user's minutes plan. There was some concern that this might not work out so well for those without plans with extensive minutes, but early reports suggest that such cases will ultimately prove “...few and far between.”. Another critical benefit of this system is that it's already part of the device. Users will no longer need to do a lot of app-switching to make calls, as Advanced Calling 1.0 is already set up right in the device's operations. Since it operates on Verizon's LTE (News - Alert) network, that makes things easier to work with thanks to improved flexibility.

But no system comes without some drawbacks, and Advanced Calling 1.0 has those present as well. For instance, Verizon notes that Advanced Calling 1.0 will require both callers—not just one—to be in an area with LTE access, but perhaps worse, both need to be in the same LTE coverage area, and both will need to be using the correct devices in order to get access to video chat. Further, Advanced Calling 1.0 is likely to prove a serious strain on data networks that are already in many cases overtaxed, a development which likely won't sit well in the long term with users.

Advanced Calling 1.0 offers up quite a bit that's worth considering, and plenty that will likely be enjoyed. The downside here, though, is that there are also plenty of issues, like an incredibly finicky system that will only operate for the right users in the right areas using the right devices. How many Verizon users has Verizon effectively eliminated from using its own program because of all of these restrictions? Will this really fare well against established OTT services that probably already have user bases by now?

Naturally, only time will tell just how well Advanced Calling 1.0 works out. But it's clear that there are plenty of firms with an active interest in VoLTE calling, and from there, video calling as well. Advanced Calling 1.0 may not be the OTT killer some hope for, but Advanced Calling 3.0, with a better network under it, may just do the job.