Turkcell has trialled enriched VoLTE and carrier aggregation as it prepares for next month’s spectrum auction.
Turkey has yet to roll out 4G, but the auction’s conditions mean operators will have to launch LTE by the end of this year.
Enriched VoLTE is an enhanced voice service that also provides RCS functionality such as content sharing during calls.
The tests were held with Ericsson in Turkcell’s Istanbul labs. Turkcell also hit 450MBps on a single device through carrier aggregation.
Ilker Kuruoz, Turkcell’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “We look forward to introducing the latest LTE technology to our customers in Turkey as we roll out 4G services. As a part of this effort, we have joined forces with our partners to test Enriched VoLTE, making Turkcell one of the few technology companies to do so on a global scale. Our goal is to be among the first operators to offer enriched VoLTE so that Turkcell customers can be among the first users of this technology in the world.”
Ziya Erdem, General Manager of Ericsson Turkey, added: “We are proud to have tested these technologies in Turkey for the first time… our aim is to consistently improve the end-consumer experience in cooperation with our partner Turkcell. We are also contributing to the transformation of smartphones to enable the use of VoLTE and Enriched VoLTE.”
A report issued earlier this month by the GSA revealed there are 14 operators that have launched VoLTE in seven countries, up from three in 2014.
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