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Voice over LTE is the next frontier for mobile providers. Carriers such as Verizon have been experimenting with the technology that would eliminate the need for separate voice and data networks by taking advantage of the extra bandwidth provided by the 4G LTE spectrum, but it will be South Korea that first sees what is being dubbed “HD Voice.” SK Telecom is launching the service tomorrow, which will be available courtesy of the LTE edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Not only will new customers get access to voice over 4G, but an update will be made available to current GS3 owners enabling the new option.
Most future LTE devices from the carrier will feature HD Voice as it becomes more widespread. Eventually the system will be adopted in the US as older wireless networks are decommissioned. Viva la LTE!
[via TheVerge]
Great. And to think the carriers stopped the unlimited data plans because we were over using our unlimited data. Is there something we’re not being told?
No, that’s been the whole deal the whole time. That was what LTE was supposed to be from the beginning. That’s why Verizon and AT&T’s new “share” plans feel like even more of a slap in the face to me. LTE should have made it more cost effective and efficient all around…but why would the carriers pass on savings to their customers? We are just walking money bags after all.
I rather take speedy updates over HD voice. Concentrate on the important things!!!!
Hmm I still feel like something fishy is going on… ahhh screw I’ll just get the lube. We’re going to be raped one way or another
I know, when I heard of LTE’s potential and efficiency I thought, “gee maybe we’ll finally get affordable data that is fast.”, but boy I couldn’t have been more wrong. More like with LTE comes data share plans that are 10 times less than what you got a year or two ago for the same price or higher.
Wait, this poses the question: will minutes be counted as DATA in the future?
I’m thinking that’s impossible unless the dialer application was made with the purpose of keeping track how many minutes you use. For instance: The Google Voice app DOES keep track of how long you talk for (and takes those minutes away from your billing plan). When using an application that uses Google Voice as the backend (meaning a third party app), it is considered all “data”. So, it is up to the dialer apps’ developers!
South Korea is pretty darn modern, I’m surprised
Why surprised? Samsung is a Korean company after all. And all the Asian countries seem to get all the latest tech in cell phones before we do. I’d say they get new phones 1-2 years before we do all the time.
When u think of Asia, u think third world
That’s just silly. Japan, South Korea, and even China have modern cities. China has even surpassed the US in the number of automobiles used. And have you ever seen Toyotas, Subarus, Hondas, or Hyundais on our highways? Well they drive them in Asia too, where those auto companies are from. To think of Asia as third world is a vast geographical, and demographical inaccuracy. Some smaller countries and provincial towns may be considered second world, but Asia is just as modern as anywhere else in the world.