To coincide with the South African launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge mobile operator Vodacom has announced that it will begin offering those users on its network that have picked up the new devices Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services from tomorrow.
VoLTE, which Vodacom demonstrated in September last year, promises better call quality, shorter connection times and the ability to use data services while on a call. We’ve yet to test the service ourselves so we can’t attest to any of these claims, but we’re holding thumbs it also means fewer dropped calls and fewer conversations that sound like someone the digital equivalent of a scratched record.
VoLTE allows voice traffic to travel over Vodacom’s LTE mobile data network and has been adopted by a number of international operators. Vodacom says it has had to wait for compatible devices like the new Samsung flagships to land in SA to make introducing the service feasible.
While there’s no additional charge to use the service it will only be available to contract customers initially and those customers will need to run a software update on their handsets in order to activate the service. Vodacom says the necessary update will be made available tomorrow.
Last year Vodacom rolled-out its Enhanced Voice service that comprises HD voice — which the operator claims increases the clarity of voice calls — Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) which is intended to remove the echo that sometimes occurs when making calls, and Noise Reduction (NR) technology which eliminates background noise.