Bin launches Voice Over LTE roaming services
High-quality Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service is now accessible for roaming in countries such as Kazakhstan, Singapore, Taiwan, and China, marking a significant step in the operator's service development. Statistics demonstrate a substantial increase in demand for international roaming in China – the number of connections grew by 1.5 times over the course of a year. This trend supports the relevance of launching this new technological service for Beeline's clients abroad.
VoLTE is a technology that transmits voice over 4G/LTE networks, providing high-quality sound, instant call connections, and stable connectivity even when using the internet. Unlike outdated 2G/3G networks, where voice and data were transmitted separately, VoLTE allows simultaneous talking and internet usage without compromising speed. This technology becomes particularly important in light of global network operators' transition to modern standards of communication – for instance, in Singapore, where 2G/3G networks have already been shut down, and voice communication operates exclusively through LTE with VoLTE support.
Beeline does not neglect foreign travelers either. The advantages of VoLTE for Beeline's clients are already available to subscribers of certain operators in South Korea and the United Kingdom. The operator is actively collaborating with partners from other countries, who prioritize providing high-quality services to their customers while roaming.
Vice President of Beeline's Operator Business Sergei Bykov stated that VoLTE roaming is available for subscribers with compatible devices and tariff plans.
In an increasingly connected world, VoLTE roaming agreements are rapidly expanding. The GSMA reports more than 900 such agreements globally, involving over 250 mobile network operators across 120 countries. The Asia-Pacific region, including China, is a hotspot for rapid expansion, but specific details about Chinese operators’ participation in these agreements are not explicitly mentioned in recent reports.
* VoLTE-роуминг доступен для абонентов с поддерживаемыми устройствами и тарифами.
Реклама. ПАО "ВымпелКом", beeline.ru.
Industry initiatives are underway to improve global VoLTE coverage and interoperability. The GSMA, in collaboration with device manufacturers like Samsung, is working to streamline the deployment of VoLTE by standardizing network settings and enabling automatic updates for supported devices. These efforts aim to ensure consistent and high-quality voice services as 2G and 3G networks are phased out globally. However, while Samsung and other manufacturers are rolling out solutions that could enable VoLTE on non-partner networks using updated device firmware and the GSMA’s Network Settings Exchange platform, these features still require both the home and visited networks (including those in China) to have compatible configurations and agreements in place.
There is no official timeline for widespread VoLTE roaming support in China for foreign operators in mainstream reporting. However, the general trend in the industry is toward broader interoperability and more robust roaming agreements, suggesting that expansion is likely in the coming years as legacy networks are retired. Until then, international users in China should expect limited VoLTE roaming support and continued reliance on 2G or alternative voice solutions.
- In an effort to improve global VoLTE coverage and interoperability, the GSMA is collaborating with device manufacturers like Samsung to streamline the deployment of VoLTE, aiming for consistent and high-quality voice services as 2G and 3G networks are phased out.
- While there is no official timeline for widespread VoLTE roaming support in China for foreign operators, the general trend in the industry indicates a likely expansion of interoperability and roaming agreements in the coming years as legacy networks are retired.
