India’s largest telecommunications service provider, Bharti Airtel, has expanded its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in India, launching in Kolkata. Airtel VoLTE, which works over 4G, will enable customers across the city to “enjoy HD quality voice calls” with faster call set up time, the company said in a statement. Customers can call any mobile, landline network using the service.
Over 100 4G smartphone models are now compatible with Airtel VoLTE. With devices from popular brands like Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, customers in the Indian city of Kolkata can now choose from flagship 4G smartphones including the iPhone X, iPhone 8 series, Samsung S7 & S7 Edge, OnePlus 5 & 5T to enjoy Airtel VoLTE services.
“We are delighted to extend our VoLTE footprint to Kolkata with the launch of our services today,” said Sameer Anjaria, CEO, West Bengal & Odisha, Bharti Airtel, in a statement on March 12. “Complementing our world class 4G network, VoLTE will add to the customer experience and our range of smartphone offerings.”
There will be no additional data charges for VoLTE and calls will be billed as per existing plan or packs benefits, the company said. Airtel’s wide 4G network coverage enables seamless connectivity on Airtel VoLTE and in case of non-availability of 4G network, Airtel VoLTE calls will automatically fall back on 3G/2G network to ensure that customers continue to stay connected at all times.
Bharti Airtel first launched VoLTE services in 2017 in a bid to compete against competitor Reliance Jio Infocomm, which shook up the Indian telecommunications market with its strategy of offering free voice calls and SMS and only charging for data.
