Digi Mobil, part of RCS & RDS, is preparing the launch of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWIFI) technologies as of this summer-end, depending on the completion of all the works and market consultation, Valentin Popoviciu RCS & RDS Vice-president announced in a press conference on Tuesday.
Voice over LTE allows a 4G network call, without automatic switching of the terminal from 4G data network to the classical one for voice, 3G. Thus, Digi Mobil users will benefit from an almost instant call connection, the waiting time since the call was initiated and until the recipient’s phone is called, falling below 2 seconds. However, the talks using the 4G network will have a much higher quality and clarity of sounds. Moreover, it will be possible to make simultaneous calls with download and streaming session at 4G speeds.
VoWIFI is a complementary technology to VoLTE and utilises IMS technology to provide a packet voice service that is delivered over IP via a Wi-Fi network. Where possible, VoLTE calls may be seamlessly handed over between LTE and WiFi and vice versa. Conversational video is also possible via WiFi.
When using VoWIFI, the consumers can make calls without the need for a mobile signal (e. g. in a remote location or in a property with thick walls). They also benefit from security being based on SIM-based authentication as for VoLTE and will have a better experience indoor coverage.
Voice 4G and Voice Wi-Fi services, as well as their activation will be free of charge for all the subscriptions in the offer.
At the same time, Popoviciu announced that RCS & RDS plans to introduce 4G Internet in all subway tunnels in Bucharest, but also to expand the 4G Internet at a national level and prepare it for 5G.
Digi Mobil had 3,305,000 customers at end-Q1 of 2017, up from 2,840,000 customers a year ago. The company covered 50 percent of the population with 4G.
“5G will be introduced sometime over the next three years after its standardization. We are talking with various suppliers to help us in preparing the network for this data capacity. 5G does not just mean higher speed, but is a whole ecosystem, it’s the way it introduces mobile and fixed communications into several projects, such as Smart City,” RCS & RDS official explained.
Data traffic in the RCS & RDS network increased strongly from 2.8 million GB in March 2016 to 5.45 million GB in May 2017.