Telekom Slovenije is targeting 92 percent LTE population coverage by the end of this year, as it continues its migration to an all-IP network.
The operator is midway through a network improvement programme, which has involved it updating base stations to LTE, bringing fibre-optics to its fixed line network, and improving the core IP network.
Currently, it offers LTE coverage to 86 percent of the country’s population.
Telekom Slovenije has also been working on an SRVCC-based VoLTE service since it implemented 4G in 2013. While the operator is VoLTE ready, Telekom Slovenije said it would wait until there is an adequate range of devices available before launching it.
LTE data consumption accounts for 40 percent of total traffic. The operator added that 4G data consumption is up 40 percent on 2014.
It said the number of LTE devices on its network is growing five percent month on month.
Elsewhere, the operator is looking at both software defined networking and network functions virtualisation to automate its processes. It said the shift would make add more stability to its operations, reduce costs and make it ready for changes during the next five years.
Matjaž Beričič, Director of the Convergent Core Network at Telekom Slovenije, said: “The most important thing for advanced mobile terminals to take advantage of the network is good planning and managing the coexistence of the three generations of mobile technology.
“Telekom Slovenije’s strategy in this area is structured around intense expansion of our LTE/4G capacities coverage. With the arrival of new devices we plan to gradually migrate the majority of mobile voice communication to the VoLTE network, continuing to provide Slovenian users with premium quality in using the latest services.”