How Managed IT Services in the UK Workplace Aid Productivity
Although around 4.5 million people subscribe to Three's 4G network for data services – they previously had to drop to 3G when they made regular phone calls. The downside of this was that 3G doesn't penetrate very far into buildings, so indoor coverage was often very poor.
The new service, called 4G Super Voice, will enable Three to carry voice calls over its 4G network using voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology. This means that customers will be able to use their mobiles in locations that previously didn’t have signal. By adding new cell sites and launching the WiFi calling application, Three InTouch, this has improved the indoor coverage.
4G Super Voice is made possible by the addition of low-frequency 800 MHz spectrum to the Three network, following the 4G auction in 2013. The 800 MHz spectrum has shorter wavelengths than Three's spectrum at 1800MHz, meaning it is better at penetrating through walls. Three have said that the innovative 4G Super Voice is already covering 50 per cent of the UK’s population for indoor coverage and more than three quarters of London, Edinburgh, Exeter and Birmingham. The aim is to reach 65 per cent of the UK’s population by the end of 2015
"Indoor coverage across the industry is always the hardest problem to solve, so all networks, whether it's 2G, 3G or 4G will always have coverage blackspots," said Bryn Jones, Chief Technology Officer at Three.
In order for customers to access the new technology, the device has to have an antenna that picks up 800MHz. Devices that are currently compatible are the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G4 at launch, and the iphone 6s and 6s plus models when launched later this year.
Although Three UK is the first to launch VoLTE, other networks are working on the launch of this technology. EE, O2, and Vodafone are currently conducting trials.
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