AT&T’s VoLTE service might be months away, but rumor has it that the carrier has started testing it out already. AT&T isn’t expected to launch the service until at least the end of this year. The latest rumor coming in from a Korean publication suggests that the carrier has teamed up with Samsung in order to test its VoLTE service. For those who don’t know, this voice over long-term evolution a.k.a VoLTE service will allow users to make calls through an LTE network instead of a 2G or 3G network. This would result in stable connections and improved call quality, provided that users are in an area where LTE coverage is decent.
The report also claims that Verizon, the largest mobile network in the U.S., currently has no plans of jumping on the VoLTE bandwagon. Apple is rumored to be not interested in the latest voice network for now. Samsung released its first VoLTE compatible smartphones back in 2012 in South Korea, they were compatible with SK Telecom’s commercial VoLTE service. Analysts expect that AT&T’s decision to include Samsung in its tests is going to open way for the Korean company to expand its foothold in the U.S. market, effectively being able to launch even stronger competition against its biggest rival, Apple, on its home turf.