Heavy Reading White Paper on voice over LTE and rich media communications

With the implementation of voice over LTE (VoLTE) and rich media communication services tipped to be a matter of when and not if for most large tier 1 operators, an Ericsson co-sponsored white paper by Heavy Reading takes a closer look at what those operators need to be thinking about.

Describing VoLTE (GSMA 1R92 VoLTE) as possibly one of the ultimate applications of 4G-LTE networks, the paper – titled Examining the case for VoLTE and Rich Media Communications - looks at its potential game-changing impact on operator business models; the technical and commercial challenges involved; advanced features such as quality of service and extensions into video calling and Rich Communication Suite services.

The paper also compares and rates VoLTE against alternatives, stating: “In one sense – because there is no other well-specified, well-supported solution on offer – operators have no alternative to VoLTE.”

The white paper considers a timeline for the first rollouts by global region; device capability and availability; the impact of LTE on operators’ voice strategies; network implementation and third-party integration.

The author states: “This white paper aims to provide operators and other industry participants with a status update on VoLTE that will contribute to an understanding of the technical viability of the service and provide guidance on industry timelines for network trials and commercial launches.”