VoLTE phase!

In the language of diplomacy,  ‘volte face’ is a swift change or  sharp reversal of position. With  4G VoLTE, mobile carrier technology  has entered a new phase that indicates a  sharp turning around of priorities. The first three generations of cell phone evolution, were all about voice, the main reason for carrying a phone. Data was an additional and costly feature for the few. With 4G, data replaces voice as the prime reason people use a mobile voice. And with 4G’s latest avatar, VoLTE or Voice over LTE, the domination of data is complete — voice is incidental; it is converted into data and in fact rides over the network in packets of ones and zeroes, before being de-scrambled at the end, to become a voice call.  

Almost all Indian mobile providers are gradually ‘evolving’ from 3G to 4G networks  which effectively multiply transmit speeds by a factor of 10. But in 2016, it took the new entrant,  Reliance Jio to speed up the transition by  launching the first  service that was exclusively 4G VoLTE. In other words, you could not  fully encash the Jio SIM or service unless your phone was 4G VoLTE.   This was a daring premise, Jio aimed to be the biggest service provider of the masses, by pushing customers to adopt the very latest technology! The latest numbers released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority on December 9 shows that 15 million new Jio subscribers in its first month — September were mainly responsible for reversing  the trend of falling subscriber numbers since June. As of today, Jio has 50 million subscibers — let’s face it, they offer a free SIM and free services till March 2017 end, has helped, but that also means 50 million 4G VoLTE phones purchased. These buyers will subsequently pay only for data — voice calls, the raison d’etre of a phone are a free service. Other providers — Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, are matching Jio with compelling data-centric offers of their own. And phone makers are rushing to market with 4G VoLTE ready phones at all price bands from Rs 4,000 to Rs 20,000.

I have been using a phone with a Jio SIM for a month now and the most dramatic differences are these — 4G VoLTE is data first, I don’t worry about data packs, switching data on and off as I leave home or office WiFi coverage. My emails accounts, phone text messages, WhatsApp and Facebook are always on and updating. Voice calls are clearer, and I can attach documents and pictures even as I speak and the person at the other end of a voice call can see them as we speak. I can also switch with one touch from a voice call to a video call.  These are the first palpable plus points of a phone service that is Data First. If you are planning to buy a new phone in 2016, it would make sense to ensure it is 4G VoLTE-ready. It will work well for at least 3 years since 5G is not expected till 2020.