Here’s the thing… mobile technology, as it has done over the past 50 years, continues to evolve. For mobile operators, if they do not evolve as well to support new technologies and advancements in networks and devices, then they are simply putting themselves and their subscribers at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the world. This opens the door for increased subscriber churn, the loss of new potential revenues, and leaves them vulnerable to competition. This is all becoming true in recent years as operators look to transition from legacy networks to new modern networks.
The Need for VoLTE Roaming Agreements
So, what’s the rub? Well, for many operators, this transition to modern networks allowed them to realize that reallocation of spectrum from older networks was necessary to free up additional spectrum bandwidth that they could then apply to say 4G and, more importantly, IP exclusive 5G which is quickly becoming a spectrum hog. This then creates an issue for those operators that decide to retire these legacy networks in order to farm it out to their new platforms.
As it turns out, retiring an older network takes away the ability to support circuit switch fallback (CSFB), an essential part of roaming with 3G and 4G networks that allows mobile devices to connect with SS7/Diameter signaling to create voice connectivity, which in turn allows for data connectivity. This is a huge issue for visited operators that do not support CSFB and only VoLTE because they are missing out on inbound roaming revenues and creating an overall bad roaming experience for travelers entering their networks.
Benefits of VoLTE Adoption
There are many benefits to VoLTE, including improving connection times, data and call quality that directly affect the user. Our research shows that around 80% of operators believe this too because they are predicting to have VoLTE roaming agreements in place by the end of 2024. Quality is not the only thing affecting these decisions to support VoLTE, 69% of operators confirm that the global retirement of both 2G and 3G networks will accelerate their VoLTE roaming implementation plans.
How MNOs Can Adopt VoLTE
To keep propelling the mobile industry further into the future, mobile operators need to make commitments in investing and supporting technologies that improve the performance of new devices while driving subscriber satisfaction. VoLTE roaming is one of these technologies. Yes, there are costs involved related to infrastructure, etc., but then again, the mobile industry needs to continue to evolve. Otherwise, it becomes stagnant, causing movements like digital transformation to hit speed bumps or even worse, grind to a halt.
To gain additional insight into the plans of mobile operators looking to retire legacy networks and implement VoLTE roaming, download the recent infographic developed by Mobile World Live.
Mike Rosenbaum joined Syniverse in 2011 and has more than 15 years of experience in working in marketing communication and product management roles in the telecom industry. As Product Marketing Manager, Mike is responsible for leading the communication strategy and content development for Syniverse’s portfolio of connectivity solutions, including services for IPX, IoT, RCS, and 5G and 4G. Prior to joining Syniverse, Mike held various marketing roles with a number of leading technology companies, including OKI Network Technologies, Ubiquity Software and Aicent. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University at Chico.
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