Recent survey results from the folks at iBasis (News - Alert) reveal that VoLTE is going to be the “it” technology to compete with over-the-top (OTT) providers.
Some 80 percent of respondents said that VoLTE was crucial to help mobile operators get a leg up on the competition. Why VoLTE? The promise of richer voice and data services make it a formidable option.
"As mobile network operators (MNOs) around the world roll out their 4G/LTE (News - Alert) networks, many want to expand their service portfolios to include VoLTE," said iBasis CTO Ajay Joseph in a press announcement. "It's critical to define the best approach to ensure the best voice experience while maximizing capital and operating expense efficiency. By establishing the right interconnect and roaming model, mobile operators can leverage the benefits of an all-IP infrastructure and position themselves for long-term success in the international LTE marketplace."
The creation of OTT applications has led to a wide-ranging conflict between companies that offer similar or overlapping services. The focus, however, remains on LTE as OTT providers will likely not be able to compete with enhanced VoLTE features, including HD voice and mobile video chat. LTE also allows operators to significantly reduce the cost of providing their services.
The demand for VoLTE is being pushed by carriers wanting to establish a native mobile VoIP solution on their devices, so that they’re armed against the threat posed by OTT VoIP providers like Skype and FaceTime (News - Alert).
VoLTE offers significant advantages over the traditional voice infrastructure and OTT services. Being able to offer high-definition voice and seamless call handoff among various LTE networks is just a small start.
VoLTE has the capacity to allow users to use many multiple media applications involving voice, video and data simultaneously on their smart devices. Operators win by offering higher value-added applications, in turn increasing the average revenue per user and maintaining a common core, thus reducing capital expenditures.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson