SingTel Rings in VoLTE with Samsung and Ericsson

SingTel, in collaboration with Samsung and Ericsson, today unveiled 4G ClearVoice, the world’s first commercial full-featured Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service. It is currently the only VoLTE service globally to offer the full suite of telephony features such as call waiting and forwarding on the 4G network.

From 31 May, 4G ClearVoice will be available to SingTel 4G postpaid customers at no additional cost. Talktime will be deducted from the monthly bundled voice minutes of their existing subscription plan.

Johan Buse, SingTel’s Vice President of Consumer Marketing, said: “SingTel is committed to enhancing customers’ lives by pushing the boundaries of innovation and introducing the latest technologies.”

“As the first full-featured VoLTE service in the world, 4G ClearVoice is a true breakthrough in the mobile industry. It complements our efforts in delivering the fastest mobile broadband services in Singapore. Customers will enjoy the flexibility of making calls and using ultra high speed 4G mobile data services at the same time,” he said.

Another key benefit of the service is the ability to connect calls in less than two seconds. This is up to five times faster than conventional mobile calls.

Customers will enjoy pristine quality conversations that are significantly clearer than conventional mobile voice services. The service delivers a broader range of audio frequencies, resulting in richer and more true-to-life sound with noticeably reduced background noise.

4G ClearVoice is equipped with Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) capability, which automatically switches ongoing calls without interruption to the 3G network if users lose connection to the 4G network.

SingTel customers who use the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 will be the first to enjoy 4G Clear Voice. A software update is needed to allow the handset to support VoLTE calls. New GALAXY Note 3 handsets sold from 31 May will come with the update installed. The update will be progressively sent to existing GALAXY Note 3 users over-the-air between 31 May and the end of June. Users of other popular 4G handsets can also expect to receive the update in the coming months.

Irene Ng, Vice President, Regional Marketing, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, said: “Samsung welcomes SingTel’s launch of VoLTE in Singapore, and is delighted to partner SingTel to enable consumers to enjoy the best call quality on their GALAXY smartphones. As consumers demand more of their smart devices, such collaborations ensure that consumers are getting the best out of their smartphones.”

Nicholas Seow, Ericsson Country Head for Singapore & Brunei, said: “Ericsson and SingTel enjoy a great technology partnership that leverages the strengths of both companies.  SingTel is the market leader in Singapore with a well-earned reputation for delivering a high performance mobile broadband experience to their customers. Ericsson is the LTE and VoLTE market leader providing SingTel with the end-to-end solutions and integration services that ensure swift and successful network deployment and activation.”