The ways in which we communicate have changed greatly over the last decade. Carriers are fighting for your attention and everything from instant messaging to video calls are being used to keep people in the know. Still, even with access to new technologies, voice calling plays an important role. For that reason, much attention is being lavished on the development in RCS VoLTE.
For those who aren’t exactly clear on the technology, RCS VoLTE is basically voice over LTE (News - Alert), enabling users to leverage 4G technology. You might believe that you already have access to 4G LTE, especially if you catch a carrier commercial from time to time. The important thing to consider, however, is that these superfast connections are currently used for data only. The point of RCS VoLTE is to take the voice calls currently taking place over 2G and 3G networks to 4G bandwidths.
According to Alex Todd in a recent Recombu article, such a move will ensure that calls not only connect faster, but don’t drain your battery power like they do now. If this fact is confusing, let’s take a moment to clarify. Your current phone has to switch antennas to place voice calls. This drains battery and degrades the quality of the connection. If your phone can stay on the same network to complete the voice call, you’ll enjoy the crystal clear connection you’ve always wanted.
Vodafone is aiming to make waves in this space. With EE, Three and O2 (News - Alert) nipping at its heels, Vodafone announced plans to bring RCS VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling infrastructures to the masses in the UK by this summer. The other three carriers are all running their own trials and may give Vodafone (News - Alert) a run for its money in terms of launch dates. Whatever the outcome, the user will come out the winner with access to new cellular technology that will allow more calls in more places.
While Wi-Fi calling won’t be able to enable the same quality connections as VoLTE, it does allow users to make calls in places where the cellular signal is too weak or simply doesn’t exist. It also can’t support the same power benefits, but does give users the ability to stay connected in more places, which is critical in today’s competitive environments. The perk here is that users won’t need an app to enable Wi-Fi calling on the mobile device, streamlining the experience across the board.
If you’re running operations in the UK, this move is great news for your users. The fact that other carriers are aiming for the same end can also mean better competitive pricing. Whatever the outcome, one thing we know for sure – quality voice calls are just a few months away.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson