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AT&T's VoLTE Deployment Looks To Be Delayed

One of the more notable benefits of faster LTE speeds was supposed to be the higher quality phone call audio made possible by VoLTE, though carrier interoperability and battery/performance problems appear to have hindered deployments on numerous fronts. AT&T, who originally stated they'd be launching the service in some capacity by late last year, this week admitted that their deployment of VoLTE would be delayed. AT&T's offering now timeline now for when the improved voice quality platform will reach consumers, though they claim the project is in "the final stages of optimization." Verizon has also seen several delays in implementation.

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n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Kind Of Sorry

I am rather unhappy to see the delays in implementing VoLTE. Until it is implemented, we will be stuck with hybrid 3G/4G setups and those of us on CDMA carriers such as Verizon and Sprint will have it worse due to the inferiority of CMDA2000 vs UMTS.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

How is IS-2000 "inferior" to UMTS where voice is concerned?

Pure VoLTE isn't going to happen until the carriers have LTE networks that match the coverage of their legacy networks. Even Verizon isn't quite there yet, and the rest have a long way to go.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

First of all he didn't say just voice, he said inferior generally
and it is inferior both in speed and the fact that it can't do voice and data at the same like like HSPA and HSPA+
Verizon is close and they are the ones that seem to have the first plans to start offering LTE only phones, they know that CDMA has to go due to it's limitations.
Which lead to worse battery life for CMDA/LTE phones and limitations like new iphones which still can't do voice and data at the same time due to apple's decisions about battery life.
At least for high end postpaid. I'm sure their CDMA network will stick around for quite awhile as a prepaid cash cow and supporting existing users.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

said by MovieLover76:

Verizon is close

Except they're not. They're discovering the hard way that LTE does not have the same reach as IS-2000/EVDO. Drive down a rural interstate that has LTE overlaid on every existing tower and observe how your phone drops to EVDO in the fringe areas. They will have to increase cell site density to match the existing footprint, which is something they're working on, but they're no where near ready to release LTE only phones. The first VoLTE devices will invariably rely on handoffs to IS-2000 for voice coverage in these areas.
said by MovieLover76:

and limitations like new iphones which still can't do voice and data at the same time due to apple's decisions about battery life.

That's Apple's stupidity, don't blame Verizon for it. My Moto X seems to handle simultaneous IS-2000/LTE without undue battery drain.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

I'm not blaming Verizon, I'm simply discussing the limitations of CDMA.
My mention of Verizon is merely as they are furthest in the switch from CDMA to LTE only.

Arguments about how far they are aside, I'm merely discussing the tech.
Having to have 2 connections alive, one to LTE for data and one to 3G for voice is a kludge and not optimal in any way.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

There's no other way to bridge the gap between the respective technologies. That's a fact of life whenever technology transitions. It will likely be a fact of life ten years from now when LTE is replaced with whatever 5G standard is cooked up between now and then.

Personally I think you're making a mountain out of a molehole. The "connection" for voice isn't "alive", unless you're actively engaged in a call. When idle the IS-2000 radio will be in slotted mode, with the receiver turned off a majority of the time, and negligible impact on battery life.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

Wrong, it's because they are bridging a CDMA and GSM based technology, that's why GSM carrier's don't have this problem, they simply fallback to hspa+ for voice calls.

If it was a negligible as you say Apple wouldn't have made the decision they did.

All I'm saying is that yes HSPA is superior to CDMA and it presents additional challenges that CDMA carriers would like to get away from and have more incentive to get away from than GSM carrier's via VoIP. I didn't say it was the end of the world, it's just an extra technical challenge and a kludge because they are switching technology.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

First off, it's not "CDMA". CDMA is the air interface. The cellular standard is properly called IS-2000 or CDMA2000. The underlying air interface is used in many different technologies, including UMTS. Describing Sprint and Verizon simply as "CDMA" is inaccurate.

Second, learn how to use the possessive apostrophe properly.

Third, do some reading on 'slotted mode'. The battery consumption of an idle IS-2000 phone is negligible.

Mizzat
Will post for thumbs
Premium Member
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA

Mizzat to MovieLover76

Premium Member

to MovieLover76
I honestly don't understand how people live with without voice and data at the same time, I use in-car navigation on my phone while making calls far too often as well as many other times while on cellular data and on a voice call.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

1 edit

MovieLover76 to n2jtx

Member

to n2jtx
Yea Verizon and Sprint customer's are the ones most screwed by the delay as they require always on 3G and LTE connections to do data and voice at the same time. Though Sprint customer's are screwed just by the nature of being sprint customer's lol and I don't think their VoLTE plans are very aggressive if even fully baked.

As a GSM user VoLTE isn't all that important to me, falling back to hspa+ is not a big deal , CDMA needs to die though.
I'm prepaid so I'm on mvno's AT&T or T-mobile depending on my mood, I have developed a habit of mvno hopping to the best deal.

I was a verizon customer and I honestly never thought the inability to do voice and data at the same time was a big deal, until smartphones got better and I moved to GSM and learned how useful the feature was.

antonio010
join:2002-11-24

antonio010

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

said by MovieLover76:

Yea Verizon and Sprint customer's are the ones most screwed by the delay as they require always on 3G and LTE connections to do data and voice at the same time. Though Sprint customer's are screwed just by the nature of being sprint customer's lol and I don't think their VoLTE plans are very aggressive if even fully baked.

As a GSM user VoLTE isn't all that important to me, falling back to hspa+ is not a big deal , CDMA needs to die though.
I'm prepaid so I'm on mvno's AT&T or T-mobile depending on my mood, I have developed a habit of mvno hopping to the best deal.

I was a verizon customer and I honestly never thought the inability to do voice and data at the same time was a big deal, until smartphones got better and I moved to GSM and learned how useful the feature was.

Verizon and Sprint (2 CDMA carriers) have both upgraded to SVDO, or Simultaneous Voice and EV-DO data. Obviously phone dependent, but I use data and talk simultaneously on my Galaxy S3 on Verizon all the time when on 3G.

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SVDO

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ

MovieLover76

Member

Re: Kind Of Sorry

That's because said phones have two radios, both of which support CDMA not because of a change to CDMA
I had a thunderbolt when I was a Verizon customer, I understand SVDO