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    HomeNewsVodafone UK readies VoLTE, VoWi-Fi for summer launch

    Vodafone UK readies VoLTE, VoWi-Fi for summer launch

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    Vodafone is set to launch Voice over LTE and Wi-Fi calling to its customers in the United Kingdom this summer. 

    Both types of technology have been trialled in its network labs since the summer of 2014, when it made its first VoLTE call. The operator said it was planning user trials of the technology ahead of a commercial launch in several months.

    It will release information about the service and what handsets will work on it in the coming months. The two services will be launched as part of the operator’s wider £1 billion network improvement project in the UK.

    Jeroen Hoencamp, Vodafone UK Chief Executive said: “Our Wi-Fi Calling service will ensure that our customers never miss a call. It is another important step towards our commitment to build the UK’s strongest converged network.”

    While Vodafone improved its performance, it still came in last place in Rootmetrics annual report into the UK mobile market. 

    In October last year, Vodafone launched LTE-A in the UK, with London, Birmingham and Manchester the first cities to get the technology. It is planning to extend it to other areas throughout 2015.

    Elsewhere in the UK, EE recently said it was planning to launch its own VoWi-Fi service in the coming months. VoLTE is expected to follow later in 2015 and will run on EE’s 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2.6GHz frequency holdings.

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