Smart completes VoLTE rollout to Smart Prepaid and Signature subscribers nationwide

More Filipinos can now experience superior quality calls with uninterrupted mobile data use as mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. becomes the first telco to complete its Voice over LTE or VoLTE rollout to cover Smart Prepaid and Smart Signature subscribers nationwide.

VoLTE, the first fully IP-based carrier-grade voice service, offers high-definition quality phone calls by using LTE networks instead of legacy voice networks. As such, VoLTE-to-VoLTE calls are crystal-clear, with almost no background noise.

Moreover, VoLTE users get the added benefit of being able to make or receive phone calls while using mobile data applications simultaneously – unlike in the traditional setup, where devices shift from LTE network to 2G or 3G mobile networks during a voice call. VoLTE also facilitates a much faster call setup, which reduces the waiting time for a call to connect.

“VoLTE and VoWiFi are for clearer calls - it is that simple! Our VoLTE rollout is very much in line with our commitment to simplify the lives of our customers by making cutting-edge mobile technology more accessible. This service is made possible by Smart's superior mobile data network, which we continuously reinforce to stay ahead of our customers’ needs,” says Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.

How to activate VoLTE in your smartphone’s settings
Smart Prepaid and Smart Signature subscribers can enjoy VoLTE at Smart LTE-covered areas across the country. Users only need to have a VoLTE-capable smartphone with a Smart LTE SIM to enjoy the service with another VoLTE user on the other end of the line.

Among the VoLTE-capable smartphones today are Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, S10, and S20 lines, Note 8, 9, and 10, as well as the new Galaxy Z Flip and the midrange Galaxy A series. The VoLTE feature is also available on Huawei Mate 10, Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, P30 series, and the Y5 2019, among others.

To make VoLTE calls, subscribers need to enable VoLTE in their phone’s settings. Once activated, customers may simply use their phone’s native dialer to make calls – no separate app needed.

Aside from VoLTE, Smart has also rolled out Voice-over-Wifi (VoWiFi) or Wi-Fi calling service to subscribers, which lets users make and receive calls and text messages over any Wi-Fi connection using their smartphone’s native dialer, without having to install another app.

Calls made with VoLTE and VoWiFi will be charged like normal calls against the customer’s active subscription. For customers without an active subscription, local and international voice and text rates will apply.

Philippines’ fastest mobile data network
Smart’s VoLTE service is powered by Smart LTE, the country’s fastest mobile data network as certified by third-party mobile analytics firms, such as Opensignal and Ookla.

In its November 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report for the Philippines, Opensignal noted that Smart remained ahead of the competition as it bagged five Mobile Experience Awards, including Best in 4G Availability, Best in 4G Coverage, Best in Video Experience; Best in Upload Speed Experience; and Best in Download Speed Experience.

On the other hand, Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, recently named Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network in the first half of 2020 after it achieved a Speed Score of 18.33, with average speeds of 15.94 Mbps for download, and 7.57 Mbps for upload, based on 2,810,963 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest.