Verizon may roll out Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) in early 2013. Citing industry sources, Light Reading Mobile claims that Verizon’s VoLTE service will go live nationwide next year and that it has been successfully trialing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based app in two markets. Verizon had originally hoped to launch the service in 2012, although if it begins its roll out before the end of the year, it may be in limited markets.
A Verizon spokewoman at CES said, “We’re continuing to work on VoLTE and the services it brings, and will share any launch or availability plans in due course.”
TOT played with Verizon’s IMS-based app at CES 2012 and came away impressed. We found the audio quality to be significantly better than a regular cellphone call and as good as a Skype call, but without the echoes and other artifacts.