Globe Telecom said postpaid subscribers were rapidly shifting to voice over LTE (VoLTE) calls, which are clearer and put less strain on the company’s network, as the telco increased its coverage to 94 percent of towns in the Philippines.
The network expansion and the larger number of subscribers using 4G devices meant that 30 percent of their postpaid customers were now using VoLTE, said Globe chief commercial officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira.
“We are seeing a consistent monthly growth rate of around 8 percent in terms of customer adoption,” she said in a statement.
“We are optimistic that more customers will latch on to this new service in the coming months because it provides a great customer experience for them and once again gives them the power to choose what works best for them,” Cabreira added.
VoLTE, which is charged like a regular call, is the standard for 4G/LTE devices.
Compared to calls on more dated 2G and 3G networks, VoLTE has more capacity, allowing the network to accommodate more callers at the same time. It also allows faster call set-ups, clearer voice quality, and lower instances of dropped calls.
Furthermore, VoLTE users can simultaneously connect to the internet while on a call, allowing them to continue streaming videos or play video games.
Since VoLTE works on wifi networks, Globe said this also addresses poor mobile signal in indoor locations.
“Depending on the capacity and signal strength of their wifi service and a VoWiFi-capable mobile phone, VoWiFi can resolve these concerns because customers can use their existing wifi connection to make phone calls,” Globe said.
The company added that network upgrades were underway to bring VoLTE coverage to 100 percent of towns in the country. INQ