[February 25, 2015]

81% of Operators Say VoLTE is Key to Competing with OTTs and Expect to Launch Within 24 Months, According to New Survey of Mobile Operators

iBasis, a KPN (News - Alert) company, announced today the findings from a survey of mobile operators' attitudes about Voice and Video calling over LTE. Conducted by Ovum, the leading analyst house across converging telecoms, media and IT markets, the survey reveals how mobile operators look to new services to drive mobile revenue growth and when to expect voice over LTE (News - Alert) (VoLTE), Video calling (ViLTE) and RCS. The results of the survey are published in a new white paper, "Voice and Video Calling Over LTE", which can be downloaded from the Ovum (News - Alert) website at http://www.ovum.com/voice-and-video-calling-over-lte/.

The survey shows that voice services defined as rich voice or VoLTE are gaining momentum. The improved user experience delivered by VoLTE was cited by more than 80% of respondents as an important factor in enhancing mobile operators' ability to compete with OTT providers. Two-thirds of respondents consider the promise of new, richer voice and data services, including RCS, to be key drivers of VoLTE implementation. Also, 57% of respondents expect that VoLTE will allow them to deliver voice sevices far more efficiently due to the technologies' greater spectral efficiency.

"Voice will continue to remain relevant, but operators need to develop new voice opportunities for the future," said Ovum Senior Analyst Nishi Verma Nangia. "VoLTE will be a crucial step forward, in order to offer an improved end-user experience, and it will enable operators to compete against the growing threat of OTT voice services. As operators plan to launch VoLTE services across their domestic markets, they should prepare their networks to extend the same user experience to their roaming customers as well. International VoLTE could be a significant opportunity for operators to provide strong service and quality differentiation to end users."

"As mobile network operators (MNOs) around the world roll out their 4G/LTE networks, many want to expand their service portfolios to include VoLTE," said iBasis CTO Ajay Joseph (News - Alert). "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."

In addition to presenting the findings regarding the VoLTE market opportunity for operators, the survey also highlights the inherent challenges operators will face as they migrate to VoLTE, including navigating various commercial models, as well as interworking and roaming issues that could impact international VoLTE deployment.

Ovum conducted this industry survey of mobile operators' and MVNOs' plans and expectations for VoLTE and ViLTE. Respondents represent operators from around the world. The Asia Pacific region was particularly well represented due to the early success of VoLTE there.

About iBasis (News - Alert)

A wholly-owned KPN company, iBasis is a leading international voice carrier and provider of value-added services for mobile operators. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of voice termination and data services, including messaging, signaling and roaming, for many of the world's largest fixed and mobile operators, as well as voice-over-broadband service providers. Find out more about iBasis at www.ibasis.com.

iBasis and KPN are registered marks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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