I’m excited to share a big network milestone with you today. Our VoLTE network (Voice over LTE) covers more than 295 million Americans. That includes more than 27 million active subscribers – more than any other U.S. carrier. We’ve set up the network so customers in covered areas who have capable devices get instant access to VoLTE as soon as the coverage is live.
You’ve been talking and surfing the web simultaneously on AT&T for years. But now VoLTE lets that happen at 4G LTE data speeds. VoLTE also lets us offer HD Voice. HD Voice produces more natural sounding audio by extending the frequency range of the audio signals, resulting in remarkably clearer calls.
We’re rolling out VoLTE market-by-market and testing each market before launching. This gives customers the best possible experience. To see if HD Voice is available in your area, check out http://www.att.com/coverageviewer.
You might remember John Donovan mentioning we were working to let our customers enjoy clear HD Voice audio quality and video calling features when placing VoLTE calls to customers of other carriers, and vice versa. Well, I’m pleased to report this month we saw the first VoLTE exchange between our customers and another carrier in limited, select areas. We’re working with others on this same feature, too.
Staying connected is everything. Here’s more we did this year to help you stay in touch with the people that matter most:
- Wi-Fi Calling complements our already great network coverage and is an option for making calls in areas where a cellular signal is tough to get. It’s available on compatible devices with iOS 9 installed. We plan to offer it on other operating systems in the future.
- NumberSync uses the power of our network to link your compatible devices to your primary mobile number. This means you can send and receive texts, as well as make and receive calls, from a secondary device using the same number that your contacts already recognize. This will work when your smartphone isn’t with you, nearby or even powered on. We launched NumberSync first on the Samsung Gear S2 and plan to bring the feature to other devices in the future.
- Video Call is now available in VoLTE coverage areas if you have a Samsung Galaxy S 6 Active. There’s no need for a separate app. You can also switch between a HD Voice call and Video Call without hanging up.
- Advanced Messaging, like video calling and VoLTE, is part of AT&T’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) platform. Advanced Messaging has some cool features, making your texting even better. If you and the person you are texting both have a Samsung Galaxy S 5 mini or Samsung Galaxy S6 Active, it shows you when your message is delivered, when it’s read and when the other person is typing their reply. You can also send larger files up to 10 MB.
It’s been a busy year for us and our network. But we’re excited to bring you new ways to interact with friends, families and colleagues. There are more innovations coming in the future. I’m looking forward to sharing the news with you later on. In the meantime, you can visit http://www.att.com/hdvoice to learn more.
