Definition: Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) is a technology specification that defines the standards and procedures for delivering voice and messaging services over 4G LTE networks.
Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) explained
VoLTE is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) high-speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables. It is one method for developing, provisioning, and managing high-speed voice, video, and messaging services for mobile and portable devices on a 4G wireless network. Furthermore, VoLTE provides customers with enhanced voice quality, reduced call establishment time, and the ability to make video calls.
VoLTE is critical for network operators, vendors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and end users. Since LTE is a data-only networking technology, VoLTE provides higher quality calls, better service, and the ability to use voice and data at the same time. In this setting, VoLTE is significant because it enables the decommissioning of legacy circuit switch (CS) networks by migrating voice services to LTE networks. This is in contrast to delivering voice using circuit switch (CS) methodologies, which requires 4G handsets to use a secondary 3G radio and network operators to continue supporting this inefficient access infrastructure and licensed spectrum.
All major telecommunications carriers have voice over capability on LTE and it is now included on most 4G smartphones as standard. VoLTE Roaming deployments are recommended to be deployed based on the S8HR (S8 Home Routed) architecture.
Utimaco provides two alternative solutions which are compliant with standardization according to 3GPP TS 33.107 and following the recommendations in GSMA PRD IR.65. Utimaco supports scalable and transparent Lawful Interception solutions that passively and, in accordance with GSMA IR.65, monitor all VoLTE calls on S8 interfaces (LI S8HR).
