LTE technology gets a lot of publicity, but smartphones currently only use the network for data. MetroPCS, however, has become the first carrier to launch a voice over LTE (VoLTE) service, beating out South Korean carrier SK Telecom by less than a day. Many carriers have been testing the technology, but only MetroPCS and SK Telecom have managed to actually bring it to market. VoLTE is currently only available in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but the company plans to increase the size of the network in the near future.
Of course, without VoLTE-equipped devices, the technology is practically useless. LG’s Connect 4G is the first VoLTE-capable device to be available on MetroPCS, with additional devices hitting stores in the coming weeks and months. While SK Telecom finished second, it actually offers a superior VoLTE handset: the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Interestingly, MetroPCS was also the first network to roll out commercially available 4G LTE in the US.
[PR Newswire via The Verge]
