Reality Check: Voice over LTE: How soon is now?

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace.
Last year the issue of Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) emerged from the shadows, and after a rigorous debate, concluded in resounding fashion with a positive answer (yes, it’s needed) and near unanimous support of a singular approach — it will be SIP. Until 2009, the issue of how service parity for voice and messaging would be delivered over LTE was overshadowed by speeds, spectral efficiency, device-eUTRAN interoperability and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) developments. Despite taking a back seat for some time, how and when voice would be delivered is extremely important as 70