Ovum analyst Jeremy Green is advising mobile operators to slow down
on the rollout of mobile VoIP over 4G LTE networks because there are
still service and supply issues to work out, and no compelling services
or revenue opportunities.
Green advised operators to focus on data services over their high-speed
wireless networks in the short term. In the long term, VoLTE will
provide network efficiency and costs savings, he added.
"While there are some questions about how to provide voice services
during the interim period when the LTE network sits alongside legacy 3G
and even 2G networks, there is general agreement that the ultimate
destination is a solution based on the IP multimedia subsystem, which is
now designated as VoLTE--'voice over LTE'," Green wrote.
Service parity issues, such as support for emergency calls and
in-call handover between LTE and other networks, are holding operators
back from deploying VoLTE. There is also an insufficient number of
devices out there that support VoLTE and problems with device
performance, such as battery drain.
"The service benefits of VoLTE also appear to be tenuous," Green
wrote. "Even if RCS services were a sure-fire winner (and this is by no
means an established certainty), their deployment is largely unrelated
to LTE, as the few commercial deployments to date largely demonstrate.
It is a similar situation with HD voice, which can be deployed on both
LTE and non-LTE networks," he explained.
At the same time, factors that are driving operators toward early
VoLTE deployment include network and spectrum efficiencies, eliminating
the need for a separate voice network, improving call setup times and
the offering new services, such as high-definition voice, simultaneous
data usage and rich communication suite services.
Green advised operators to stay engaged with VoLTE, but not to rush
into deployment. In the case of VoLTE, the early bird does not catch the
worm, he added.
For more: http://ovum.com/2013/01/10/theres-no-harm-in-taking-a-slow-road-to-volte-deployment/
Source: http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/ovum-mobile-operators-should-slow-down-rollout-volte/2013-01-11
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