Verizon's VoLTE coming later this year with several handsets

XLTE is nice, but VoLTE is the next revolution in carrier coverage and reliability. Verizon was first to announce they'd be on-board with VoLTE, but AT&T beat them to the punch this week, rolling out their VoLTE network in two markets. Not backing down, Verizon plans to roll their VoLTE coverage out soon.

Thought hey didn't say just when that would be, Verizon has released a statement, making overtures about VoLTE and promising added benefits — especially for enterprise customers. IT seems in addition to VoLTE, Verizon is working on a video chatting service. The video chat is likely going to be included right form the call function, and Verizon promises we will be able to switch from voice to voice-and-video seamlessly from within a call.

Verizon believes their rollout will set the stage for a better experience, and faster service updates. Their statement noted "the rollout also sets the stage for future enhancements through Rich Communications Services (RCS), which enable things like including large file transfer, more robust group messaging, and more location sharing." RCS is an industry standard started by the GSM Association, and held as the industry standard for updating to VoLTE.

Verizon didn't come right out and say when the VoLTE rollout would begin, but they did say it would be this year. They also said it would arrive with several handsets, opposite AT&T's launch with the Galaxy S4 mini as the lone device.

Source: Verizon