VoLTE service is available to users on 164 LTE or LTE-Advanced networks. This new total represents 24 percent of all 686 commercially launched LTE networks.
The above chart prepared by Dell’Oro Group indicates the Capex in rolling out VoLTE services.
Juniper Research earlier forecasts that VoLTE users will exceed the OTT voice app users for the first time in 2020. OTT apps such as WhatsApp and Messenger will generate 15.7 trillion minutes of voice usage by 2023.
The number of operators offering VoLTE service is one third higher than in August 2017, at which time 20 percent of 615 LTE operators offered VoLTE service.
VoLTE service is now available in 80 countries, which is also 33 percent higher year-on-year.
Alan Hadden, director, said: “Activating VoLTE also enables most operators to consider refarming some or all of the spectrum used on 2G or 3G systems for legacy voice service, instead, using it for further development of their 4G/LTE services.”
Additional 69 operators are planning, deploying or trialling VoLTE technology on existing networks or on-going system deployments. This means a total of 233 operators are investing in VoLTE-related activities in 102 countries.
