Huawei Preps for VoLTE Explosion

The president of Huawei's wireless business unit expects Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) to go mainstream during the second half of 2014 as chipsets and handsets become available.

David Wang made the prediction during a broader briefing about the performance of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s mobile infrastructure business. (See Huawei Aims to Double LTE Sales in 2014.)

In China, Wang expects China Mobile Ltd. will deploy VoLTE aggressively because of the importance of 4G to its business and the relative weakness of its 3G network.

While there are already some early VoLTE deployments set up in preparation for the arrival of suitable devices, many in the industry are cautious about the impact VoLTE will have during the coming year or two. Others have been highlighting some of the new challenges 4G voice service launches will bring to network operators. (See 2014: A VoLTE Security Nightmare? and VoLTE Hits Hong Kong.)

For more on VoLTE:

• VoLTE Needs Passing Grade From Operator Tests
• Mobile Voice is Dead. Long Live Mobile Voice!
• StarHub Makes a VoLTE Call With NSN
• Telus Preps for VoLTE, RCS
• Telstra CTO: Unlike IMS, NFV Is Inevitable
• Tele2 Readies VoLTE
• Verizon Beefs Up LTE Network, Nears VoLTE
• AT&T Asks for a VoLTE Phone for Christmas

— Robert Clark, contributing editor, special to Light Reading

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