VoLTE is available across entire network while Cat 11 speeds are concentrated in major metros
Australian carrier Telstra this week activated voice-over-LTE for LTE customers with compatible devices – the latest iPhone and Samsung devices for instance – under the brand name “4G Calling.”
The plan is to offer the service to postpaid customers making LTE-to-LTE calls, then add LTE-to-fixed compatibility, followed by LTE to 3G.
Telstra Group Managing Director of Networks Mike Wright told Mobile World Live the new service “means customers will always stay on 4G, which means they are on the layer that has the fastest speed and not dropping back and hanging on a 3G throughput layer – they’re staying 4G and can get really fast call set-up.”
Wright continued: “It takes us on that journey to next-generation voice calling, which will naturally evolve to things like voice over Wi-Fi and into next-generation voice platforms like fixed SIP-type calling and then probably a natural platform for RCS if it ever becomes a reality.”
Telstra unveils first Cat 11 consumer device
The service provider this week also announced a new Cat 11 mobile hot spot that supports peak download throughput of 600 megabits per second.
The Telstra Wi-Fi 4GX Advanced III Mobile Broadband Hot Spot was developed in partnership with Netgear, Ericsson and Qualcomm. The device uses three-band carrier aggregation to achieve the peak speeds; for a consumer, that means faster downloads and smoother streaming, among other benefits.
John Chambers, Telstra’s executive director of mobile, called the device “a breakthrough addition to our mobile device range thanks to our ongoing partnerships with these leaders in innovation.”
“When you combine the power of Qualcomm Technologies’ Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 LTE modem with Qualcomm VIVE 11ac, Ericsson’s LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation technology on Telstra’s network and the Netgear AirCard 810S, it really is an unbeatable technology that we are pleased to offer our customers before anyone else in the world,” Chambers explained.
The new hot spot can support up to 15 Wi-Fi devices at the same time. The battery supports up to 11 hours of continuous use.
The carrier’s 4GX footprint is somewhat limited, concentrated on the country’s east coast around cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, as well as in popular vacation spots.
