Volte - what is this?

Surely, one of the readers has already seen or heard the lettering of VoLTE. We will understand what it conceals under itself and how relevant it is today in Russia.

VoLTE is what?

VoLTE has a simple definition - it is a technology of voice transmission in LTE networks (the second name is 4G). Accordingly, and it is available only on smartphones with support for 4G. VoLTE is based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Its innovation is that the technology allows carriers to provide voice services, delivering them from the addressee to the destination as a data stream in LTE networks, which causes its greater capacity and higher quality than when making a call using 2G or 3G.

The translation of VoLTE fully corresponds to the definition. The combination means Voice over LTE, which translates from English as "voice over LTE".

The technology is not the supernova - it was presented by Singapore's SingTel Corporation back in May 2014. Initially, VoLTE supported only one gadget - Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Since 2015, operators have become actively interested in communication operators around the world, including Russian ones.

Technology advantages

Answering the question: "VoLTE is what is it?", Let's touch upon the most important pluses of the invention:

1. Each call to the subscriber will be 2 seconds shorter - this is how much is spent for the transition of the smartphone from 4G mode to 3G when making a call to the addressee. Now the gadget does not need to do this manipulation.
2. Improve the quality of communication, minimize interference, distort the voice.
3. While subscribers are talking with the use of LTE VoLTE, their gadgets can transfer data at the maximum speed of 4G - as you remember, the devices now do not need to "go down" to 3G.
4. Increase in the number of subscribers who have the opportunity to simultaneously communicate with one tower - the base station. This advantage, so far seen only by telecom operators, subscribers are remembered with a kind word in the New Year and other holidays - many are faced with the fact that they can not call the chimes to their relatives and friends just because of the exorbitant burden on the said tower. Now, in the era of VoLTE, the base station can support three times as many subscribers.

Disadvantages of VoLTE

Le VoLTE has a couple of shortcomings, which are also important to note:

1. The new technology implies a somewhat greater load on the smartphone, as a result of which it will be discharged slightly faster during the conversation.
2. LTE towers are mainly installed in cities and large settlements. Therefore, on the highway, in nature and recreation centers, in villages, etc., communication can disappear. To call a certain subscriber, the user will have to manually switch his smartphone to 3G or even EDGE, GPRS - to a mode that is supported in the area. It is possible that the developers of gadgets will soon "teach" their devices to perform this action if necessary automatically.

VoLTE in Russia

In Russia, the new technology today is in the following status:

• A large Russian operator Megafon provides its subscribers living in Moscow and the Moscow region with VoLTE technology. It is not available to all owners of gadgets that support 4G, but only to those who have some models of iPnone, Sony and a number of other manufacturers. The service "Call in 4G" (another name - "HD-voice in 4G") is connected to them automatically. If this does not happen, you should ask for help by calling the support service numbers.
• In "Beeline" VoLTE is available to subscribers connected to tariffs with a postpay system. It is provided only on certain models of gadgets - their list can be found on the official website of the company. You can try out the new technology by contacting the bileine subscriber service.
• MTS provides its subscribers with a similar service - VoWiFi / VoWLAN (call using Wi-Fi). It can be enjoyed by the owners of the latest models of Samsung Galaxy (A5-2016, J5 Prime, S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8 +), as well as Sony Xperia XZs.
• The Tele2 telecommunications operator for Moscow subscribers also made it possible to make a call using VoLTE technology. However, he did it selectively - so far only for the owners of devices, issued directly by Tele2: Midi LTE, Maxi LTE, Maxi Plus. To connect the service with this operator is simple - just type * 219 * 1 #. Some users were able to configure the voice transmission on their phones, working on the MTK chipsets, manually. The operator also provides VoWiFi / VoWLAN subscribers. To make a call using this technology, the user should download a special application.

Let's analyze in more detail the innovation on the example of a number of telecom operators.

VoLTE and Megafon

The first in Russia to get an answer to the question: "VoLTE is what?" Could just subscribers of Megafon. In September 2016, Sony Xperia (X, X Compact, X Performance, XZ) owners started using innovative technology.

In April 2017, it was the turn of the owners of the latest models of iPhones, on the phones of which the OS update was installed no later than 10.3.1. The service is provided by default for free to subscribers of the entire line of megaphones tariff plans.

VoLTE technology for regional MTS subscribers

If Beeline, Megafon and Tele2 have not yet announced that they plan to access VoLTE-regions in their networks, MTS shares the news about the prospects for a much more large-scale launch of the technology. Already in 2017 is expected to test the invention in several regions of Russia: St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok. Their residents will soon test themselves on what it is - VoLTE.

As already mentioned, the operator made Wi-Fi Calling technology available to subscribers of the capital and the Moscow region. It happened in November 2016 - the technology was open only for owners of a limited number of Samsung and Sony models. Today the operator plans to expand a number of supporting devices, including phones of manufacturers such as Asus, Alcatel, HTC, LeEco, ZTE. Their owners will soon also know everything about VoLTE: what it is and what it is "eaten".

Ambiguous situation with the iPhone - the latest models of such devaysov support VoLTE by default, but work in the networks of the mobile operator only after giving direct permission to Apple company MTS.

VoLTE in iPhone

To date, this technology is available to owners of the iPhone 6 and newer. We'll tell you how to make detailed configuration of VoLTE on these phones:

1. Go to the "Basic" in the phone settings, find the item "Software Update". Go into it, make sure that the version of your iOS is higher than 10.3. If not, update the system.
2. After these manipulations in the same basic settings, find the tab "About the device", then - the information about the operator. Supports VoLTE version of the operator no lower than 28.3 (for "Megaphone", "Beeline"). If possible, update it to this level.
3. The next item is the gadget reboot.
4. After the reboot, you should re-enter the "Settings" - "Cellular". In the "Data Options" section on the "Voice and Data" tab, tick the LTE.
5. Reboot your iPhone again.
6. With the mobile Internet turned on (make sure that you find in the 4G-LTE coverage area) make a call to another subscriber. If the LTE icon does not disappear, but the Internet works properly, you have at this point tried the new technology Voice over LTE.

VoLTE is the newest technology of voice transmission in modern smartphones with support for 4G - the fastest at the moment of the Internet from cellular operators. The invention allows not only to improve the quality of communication and connection speed, but also to increase the capabilities of base stations of telecom operators.