Ericsson showcased voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology at the four-day Transform Africa conference held in Kigali, Rwanda this week.
The firm said VoLTE will help consumers use telecom grade voice, video calling and other new richer communication services on LTE smartphones. The new generation LTE networks boast superior data transfer speeds that can assist operators in creating a superior user experience, help to reduce churn and reinforce customer loyalty.
Ericsson said its VoLTE could help the Rwandan government achieve its blueprint Rwanda 2020 Vision of transforming the economy from subsistence agriculture to a knowledge-based society through the intensive deployment of information communication technology (ICT).
The conference, co-hosted by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr. Hamadoun I. Toure set a new agenda for Africa to leapfrog development challenges through the use and uptake of broadband and related services.
“However, voice and SMS business still generates the bulk of total operator revenues globally and it has become clear that voice functionality needs to be provided on LTE networks,” he added.
With VoLTE, consumers are expected to enjoy operator-provided HD voice, video calling and other communication services on LTE compatible smartphones and other devices.
VoLTE allows use of voice and LTE data services simultaneously on LTE smartphones.
In partnership with Ericsson, a few operators began VoLTE trials back in 2010. Ericsson supported the world’s first VoLTE launches in August 2012 and the company continues to support several operators in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific with trial activities and commercial VoLTE launches.