VoLTE Status March 2020. Executive Summary
A full report with details of all VoLTE networks is available for GSA Members and Associates.
Introduction
This report updates GSA’s previous study on VoLTE (voice over LTE) published in August 2019. It reveals continued growth in VoLTE investments in the form of trials and launches and the emergence of commercially available, VoLTE-supporting 5G devices.
VoLTE Network Increase
There has been an increase in the growth of networks supporting VoLTE over the preceding 12 months. Growth in VoLTE networks more than trebled compared to the previous 6 month period. In the past 14 months GSA has tracked more than 26 new VoLTE networks globally.
VoLTE network status
GSA has identified a total of 272 operators that are investing in VoLTE in 119 countries (including territories, dependencies and disputed territories; down one from the previous count due a company acquisition that appears to have derailed an investment in a new country), including 211 operators with commercially launched VoLTE-HD voice service in 100 countries.
Since the last report in August 2019, launches have been announced or identified by GSA in the following countries for the first time: Bangladesh, Belarus, Dominican Republic, Guam, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Philippines and Serbia.
At least 30 other operators are known to be deploying VoLTE and 31 other operators are known to be planning VoLTE or are testing/trialling the technology.
VoLTE Devices
There are 2,610 devices in GSA’s GAMBoD database which support VoLTE technology, of which just over 85% are phones. By March 2020, GSA had identified 13 commercially launched 5G devices supporting VoLTE.
There continues to be an increase in the proportion of non-phone VoLTE-capable devices such as routers and modules. GSA has identified 225 modules (up from 195 in our last report) and 66 routers (up from 57) that support VoLTE. Other types of device which support VoLTE include asset trackers, fixed-wireless terminals (VoLTE-enabled wireless desktop phones), cameras, Mifi/hotspots, tablet PCs, femtocells, smart watches and USB modems. The total count of devices supporting VoLTE is 417 higher than in March 2019 (a rise of 19% in the year).
Further research
The deployment of VoLTE and the growth in the number of supporting devices is growing rapidly, and GSA will continue to track developments. We welcome input to the research programme: if you have information you think should be included in the next edition of this report, please contact research@gsacom.com.
©2020 GSA
VoLTE Status March
