It looks like Verizon is about to flip the switch on their VoLTE service. This new service will do more than just provide Voice over LTE, it will also bring customers crystal clear phone calls with HD Voice as well as video chat capabilities.
The report indicates that Big Red will begin activating the new service nationwide "in the coming weeks." While that is still a bit vague, more than likely the switch-flipping will sweep across the US very quickly and will likely finish by the end of the year.
While many consumers will see this as a good thing, unless Verizon works out a method to differentiate VoLTE calls from traditional data usage, this could end up being a sneaky way for the company to further monetize their services. Their plan is to switch all calls and services to their LTE data network, which would facilitate creating a system in which all their services are monetized through data cap billing. Basically, all calls could be billed as both minutes and data.
Of course, it seems unlikely that Verizon would expect customers to burn through their data cap with their voice calls too. Supposedly they will include a system that separates the two. Despite this, their video chat capabilities will still be using the data network along with our usual internet browsing and other data services.
Additionally, Verizon promises the older cellular switching network will still run on devices throughout the next decade. Of course, there is one other caveat to VoLTE voice calls. VoLTE voice calls cannot switch back to the traditional 1x cellular network on the fly. This means if you are having a conversation with someone and move out of a network area, or into a building that blocks the LTE signal, then you will experience dropped calls.
Verizon said they are planning other cool features besides just HD voice and video chat for the VoLTE service. It remains to be seen if these "other services" will be worth what we might lose in the process.
Source: Engadget
Last edited:
