Every 10 years or so, a new mobile communications technology emerges -1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, …- According to GSMA, it is expected that the penetration of 5G in Latin America in 2030 will be just over 50%, however, we have been hearing about 6G for some time, so everything makes us think that this dynamic will continue over time. A new technology always brings with it new improvements and differentiating advantages over its predecessors, but it also involves high multimillion-dollar investments and new challenges that in some cases affect the entire Telco industry.
One of these challenges is, without a doubt, that of voice calls. In the new generation technologies – 4G and 5G – there are no voice calls as we know them today. The solution, although it seems simple, in practice is a little more complex than we might imagine. In the case of 4G, this happens, on the one hand, for mobile operators to update their technology and deploy VoLTE and, on the other hand, for there to be devices that support VoLTE and subscribers to renew their cell phones, the cost in this case will be decisive for there to be massive penetration. Currently, in most cases, a subscriber who operates on 4G and browses the Internet normally has to switch to 3G to make or receive a call, but what will happen when the switch-off of legacy networks -2G/3G-, takes place We need to fit all the pieces together and be prepared.
VoLTE is the technology that allows voice calls to be made over LTE (4G) networks. This technology takes advantage of the high-speed data infrastructure of LTE networks, resulting in better voice quality – more stable and better-quality voice calls in high definition, even in environments with a lot of interference, much faster call establishments, better coverage, lower battery consumption, etc. and an overall more satisfying experience for end users. In a market like Latin America, where the adoption of smartphones and mobile data consumption are constantly growing, VoLTE is presented as a fundamental piece to improve the quality and efficiency of communications.
The IMS architecture, on the other hand, allows the delivery of multimedia services over IP networks and makes these services agnostic to the type of access that the user has, fixed or mobile. Integrating VoLTE into an IMS environment means operators can offer a variety of advanced services, such as video calling, multimedia messaging, and real-time communication services, all through a single IP infrastructure.
This convergence of fixed and mobile services provides greater flexibility and efficiency in the delivery of communication services, while simplifying network management and reducing operational costs for service providers.
