VoLTE, or Voice over LTE (News - Alert), is a structure that was devised because operators sought to have a standardized system for transferring voice traffic over LTE. Originally, LTE was seen as a completely IP cellular system just for carrying data. Operators would be able to carry voice either by reverting to 2G or 3G systems or by using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Since mobile operators receive over 80 percent of their revenue from voice and SMS traffic, it is necessary to have a viable and standardized scheme to provide these services and protect this revenue.
Spirent Communications (News - Alert) is a multinational telecommunications testing company. It was founded in 1936 and used to be known as Goodlife Electric Supplies. In 2000 they changed their name to Spirent. The name comes from the words “inspired innovation.”
Yesterday, March 12, 2013, Spirent announced the results of a detailed comparative test of VoLTE battery performance. They compared battery life between the first- and second-generation VoLTE smartphones, which were operating on the MetroPCS network.
Tests were done using the MetroPCS LG Spirit 4G smartphone, and the report shows several improvements. When making a VoLTE call, there was a 35-percent improvement while using the newer phone. The report also found that there was an overall battery life improvement of 122 percent for VoLTE calls. This comes from a combination of improved current drain and increased battery capacity.
This now makes VoLTE calls comparable to code division multiple access, or CDMA calls on previous devices.
According to the vice president of wireless at Spirent, Nigel Wright, “We conducted this second round of VoLTE battery performance tests to gain some understanding of whether recent technology advances have helped decrease battery drain and improve capacity for VoLTE calls.”
The test was performed in the Dallas, Texas metropolitan market, and measured and calculated the impact on battery life. Calls were placed over both CDMA and 4G LTE networks. Samples were collected at several locations for CDMA and VoLTE.
Data was also collected for multi-service CDMA/LTE and VoLTE/LTE simultaneous voice and data calls.
Tests were performed using Spirent’s Service Experience systems. “A major challenge in gauging the service experience on a given device is identification of performance indicators that are objective, quantifiable, and a predictive measure of the real end-user experience,” said Spirent in an explanation of the Service Experience system. “This challenge is amplified by the explosive growth in use cases supported by smartphones, and is further complicated when considering multiple technologies being utilized by access networks, design limitations introduced by a mobile form factor and the intricacies of mobility testing in the field.”
In addition to the 35 percent lower current drain, calls made over LTE network using Skype’s (News - Alert) over the VoIP application resulted in approximately one-third less current drain. Spirent concluded that battery life on the latest VoLTE-capable devices compare favorably to that of previous-generation devices when using CDMA voice.
The overall result, at least on the new LG Spirit 4G phone, is that you’ll have longer talk time when using VoLTE because the battery will last considerably longer than it did in previous devices.
Edited by Braden Becker