The aim is help meet growing demand for voice over 4G/5G (VoLTE) and build on the agreement they announced last October
Vodafone and its biggest shareholder e& are to offer other operators managed voice solutions. They two say it will help meet the growing demand for voice over 4G/5G (VoLTE) services and increasingly volumes of international voice traffic.
GSMA predicts VoLTE will account for more than 70% of global mobile connections by 2030 as operator close down legacy networks and 5G proliferates. Vodafone and e& aim to fulfil the need for consistent, reliable, trans-border voice services at scale.
Through partners, they will extend this offer worldwide. According to the press statement, operators sourcing services jointly offered by Vodafone and e& will have predictable costs, regardless of the region.
They will also have “optimised inbound revenues, streamlined regulatory compliance, enhanced fraud protection, and seamless integration of innovative services through a…cloud-based architecture”.
The fraud protection is based on “industry-leading processes”, AI and machine learning. Both operator groups belong to the Global Leaders Forum (GLF) which is working on fraud mitigation strategies.
Building on agreement
Last October, Vodafone and e& announced signed an MoU saying they would jointly market, sell and service businesses and public sector organisations to their digital transformations.
They also announced their first joint customer, Al-Futtaim Group, a Dubai-headquartered conglomerate operating in sectors including automotive, retail, real estate, finance and health. It signed up for cross-border digital connectivity services, management and security in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The services include adherence to local laws and regulations.
Al-Futtaim Group works with “the world’s most admired and innovate brands” in the US, UK, Japan, Sweden, France and Germany.
Cross-border challenges
Ninian Wilson, CEO of Vodafone Procurement and Connectivity, said, “Managing cross-border voice is increasingly complex due to new regulations, providing protection against international scams, and the need to migrate to 5G services.
“Operators are seeking trusted partners to navigate these changes, while growing their businesses. Vodafone’s strategic partnership with e& offers them a single point of contact and a dependable service globally during this transition to support them in managing changing business complexities.”
Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, e&, added. “This collaboration between Vodafone and e& sets a new industry benchmark, extending beyond predictable cost and improved security. It focuses on empowering operators to confidently adapt to the evolving voice landscape.
“By leveraging our established capabilities, state of the art platforms, and extensive industry knowledge, we provide operators with a definite way to achieve operational excellence. Working together, e& and Vodafone grant operators’ easy access to our combined skills and worldwide presence, enabling them to provide cutting-edge voice services, thereby seamlessly transforming their businesses for the future.”
Regulatory scrutiny
In late January, the UK government decided that the 14.6% stake in Vodafone held by e& is a potential national security risk to the UK. The United Arab Emirates government has a 60% stake in e&, the other 40% is publicly traded.
Under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, the UK Cabinet Office said a national security committee will be set up at Vodafone to oversee and monitor any sensitive work it carries out that could have an impact on national security. According to the government, the move is “necessary and proportionate” to “mitigate the risk to national security”.