Vodafone to offer 4G calling before Christmas

Vodafone will begin to offer Voice over LTE (VoLTE) – also knowing as 4G calling – to select post-paid customers before the end of this year. Subscribers on a post-paid with a compatible handset – initially Samsung's Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, and Note 5 – will be able to enable 4G calling following a pending over-the-air software update.

At present, Australian mobile phone users are typically only able to make phone calls using the 2G and 3G spectrums, as 4G was originally developed as data-only platform. The use of 4G for voice should facilitate faster connection times and clearer conversations.

"For customers with capable devices, VoLTE will mean an enhanced call experience including shorter call set up times as well as longer battery life on some smartphones," said Vodafone Chief Technology Officer Benoit Hanssen. "VoLTE not only allows users to stay on 4G during a voice call, they can also multi-task by continuing to use 4G data services such as web browsing while making or receiving a call."

Vodafone says the move will also free up parts of the 3G spectrum, which can in turn be "refarmed" to 4G.