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AT&T and Verizon Announce Voice Over LTE Interoperability for 2015

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Apr 12, 2001
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AT&T and Verizon today announced voice over LTE (VoLTE) interoperability plans that will allow Verizon Wireless and AT&T customers to make VoLTE to VoLTE calls between networks.

VoLTE is a feature that is designed to enable high-definition voice calls that significantly improve call quality.
Engineers from both companies are working through a full set of requirements, beginning with extensive testing in lab environments and then moving to field trials. This approach ensures customers will have a seamless experience making VoLTE HD Voice calls between networks and lays the foundation for interoperability of other Rich Communications Services (RCS) such as video calls, rich messaging, and more in the future.
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Verizon introduced its Advanced Calling 1.0 services with VoLTE support back in September, shortly before the release of the iPhone 6. With VoLTE, Verizon customers are able to use simultaneous voice and data capabilities over a 4G LTE network for the first time.

verizonvolte.jpg
VoLTE in action on Verizon​
​

AT&T is still in the process of rolling out VoLTE support to all markets, continuing to test the feature in a limited number of cities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia, and Texas.

VoLTE requires both built-in phone support, included in the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, and carrier participation. VoLTE interoperability between AT&T and Verizon is good news, as it is not currently possible to make VoLTE calls to outside carrier networks.

Both Verizon and AT&T state hope to establish similar deals with other carriers in the future as VoLTE continues to pick up traction.

Article Link: AT&T and Verizon Announce Voice Over LTE Interoperability for 2015
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/11/03/att-verizon-interoperability-2015/
awwww our two conglomerates are working together to avoid carriage charges for POTS. Great job guys at avoiding taxes while also giving people what they want. I doubt we see a dime in the savings they are about to have
 
I assume even without an agreement a call could be made using VoLTE on both AT&T and Verizon and it would work, it just might not benefit from higher quality audio.
 
No Thanks

so now my voice calls will count against my data plan? No thanks, I will turn it off if at all possible.
 
Are you serious?

DipDog3 said:
FaceTime Audio works just fine without the networks.
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FaceTime Audio = iDevice to iDevice
Phone Call = Phone to any other phone regardless of the brand or carrier.

Stop living in you fantasy world where everyone uses FaceTime Audio because almost nobody does.
 
DeanLubaki said:
FaceTime Audio = iDevice to iDevice
Phone Call = Phone to any other phone regardless of the brand or carrier.

Stop living in you fantasy world where everyone uses FaceTime Audio because almost nobody does.
Click to expand...

I have used FaceTime Audio a few times recently and the sound quality is superb. Crystal Clear. If you can use it, you should. It's my preferred method when available.
 
I've used FaceTime audio only a handful of times, but it was handy. I use it if I'm out of the country and need to phone back home. Was even out and about on T-Mobile's LTE network and worked exactly like a regular call, except it was eating up my 200MB a day. Worked very well though.
 
DeanLubaki said:
FaceTime Audio = iDevice to iDevice
Phone Call = Phone to any other phone regardless of the brand or carrier.

Stop living in you fantasy world where everyone uses FaceTime Audio because almost nobody does.
Click to expand...

Close to 50% of phones in the U.S. are iPhones. In my network of people, it is far higher. I think your "almost nobody" comment is the one in fantasy world.
 
As a Verizon customer, I couldn't care less about interoperability of VoLTE between cell carriers. All I care about is that when I make a phone call from my iPhone 6 (regardless of the number I am calling), as long as I am in an LTE area, the call is made over Verizon's LTE network thus allowing me to talk and surf simultaneously over the LTE network.
 
In my experience with T-Mobile, VoLTE is not ready for prime time. If you initiate or receive a call while connected to LTE, all is fine and dandy. But if you move outside the LTE coverage and into non-LTE tower, which would be fairly common if you are in a vehicle, the call may abruptly drop.
 
nutmac said:
In my experience with T-Mobile, VoLTE is not ready for prime time. If you initiate or receive a call while connected to LTE, all is fine and dandy. But if you move outside the LTE coverage and into non-LTE tower, which would be fairly common if you are in a vehicle, the call may abruptly drop.
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Not everyone's network implementation will be as half-assed as TMobiles. Don't worry.
 
This smells of collusion. AT&T and Verizon are working together, and intentionally not with T-Mobile, to try and remove T-Mobile from the picture so that AT&T and Verizon can go back to a duopoly where neither of them have to try, because they can both agree to just have the same quality and prices and have roughly half of the US market.
 
Black Magic said:
I have used FaceTime Audio a few times recently and the sound quality is superb. Crystal Clear. If you can use it, you should. It's my preferred method when available.
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I completely agree with Black Magic. I have AT&T and regular voice calls are so inferior compared to FaceTime Audio. I prefer to use Facetime Audio, but the problem is that not all the people I contact have enough data to use it.

If the sound quality of VoLTE is anything like FaceTime Audio, we'll finally be getting what we deserve.
 
AutoUnion39 said:
Not everyone's network implementation will be as half-assed as TMobiles. Don't worry.
Click to expand...

So are you telling me that iPhone 6/6 Plus on your faultless Verizon Wireless, the same carrier that puts a tracking tag on every web requests, lets you connected to LTE everywhere you go? If so, good for you.

But here in northern California, my wife's work phone is on Verizon's 4G (not LTE) at least third of the time so enabling VoLTE would mean frequent dropped calls.
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
This smells of collusion. AT&T and Verizon are working together, and intentionally not with T-Mobile, to try and remove T-Mobile from the picture so that AT&T and Verizon can go back to a duopoly where neither of them have to try, because they can both agree to just have the same quality and prices and have roughly half of the US market.
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Hmmm you left out sprint. I believe both verizon and AT&T are trying to work with other carriers since the svc would almost be worthless otherwise. The big question is what's the status on tmobile and sprint volte roll out.
 
xero9 said:
I assume even without an agreement a call could be made using VoLTE on both AT&T and Verizon and it would work, it just might not benefit from higher quality audio.
Click to expand...

That is true. It works on T-Mobile currently between T-Mobile subscribers.

The call quality is significantly better when I am talking with somebody who is also on T-Mobile.
 
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