Verizon and AT&T looking to play nice with their VoLTE networks

VoLTE is one of those things that it seems like we have been hearing about almost since the earliest days of Android, and while we have seen AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all launch their VoLTE offerings this year, the implementations have all been incredibly limited.

One such limitation is that just like the bad old days of SMS, the services don’t work across networks. That means that if you are going to enjoy crystal clear VoLTE goodness, you need to not only make your friends upgrade to one of the handful of supported phones, but you also need to make sure they are on your carrier of choice.

Thankfully, Verizon and AT&T have seen the light and have announced today that they are collaborating to bring interoperability to their VoLTE networks in the hope that some of the customers on both networks will actually get to hear what a VoLTE call sounds like someday.

Both carriers are working with the GSMA as part of their Network 2020 program to bring IP voice and video calling over LTE to the market faster. GSMA Chief Technology Officer, Alex Sinclair, was pleased with the announcement, saying, “Embracing an all-IP future is vital for operators worldwide and the GSMA is delighted that AT&T and Verizon Wireless are bringing these services to their customers.”

And before the conspiracy theories begin flying, both Verizon and AT&T stated that they are working with the other carriers to deliver similar VoLTE interoperability deals, but no further announcements along those lines at this time.

Have any of you gotten a chance to try out VoLTE calling yet?

source: androidandme