Late last month, telecom operator Airtel launched its VoLTE service in Gujarat. Now today, Airtel has announced the launch of its VoLTE services in two more states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
With the launch of VoLTE services today in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Airtel now has this service in a total of seven states of India, which include Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
Now that the VoLTE service is live, Airtel customers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can make HD quality voice calls that have faster setup time. Moreover, they can also keep using mobile data when on a voice call. Something that doesn’t happen on the 4G network, because when you make/receive a call, the 4G network will switch to 2G/3G network, effectively throttling down your Internet speed.
However, in order to make use of the VoLTE service, Airtel customers need a 4G SIM as well as 4G VoLTE enabled smartphone. Here’s the entire list of smartphones compatible with Airtel’s VoLTE service.
That said, Airtel customers can continue using mobile data and make voice calls on the VoLTE network without paying anything extra, as they will be charged based on their existing plans.
“Having built a world-class 4G network across the two geographies, we are delighted to roll out Airtel VoLTE for our customers. With the increasing penetration of VoLTE enabled smartphones in the market, Airtel customers can add to their calling experience to go with high speed data on India’s best smartphone network.” said Venkatesh Vijayraghavan, CEO – Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Bharti Airtel.
How to enable Airtel VoLTE on your smartphone ?
- Check whether your device is compatible with Airtel’s VoLTE network (click here to see the list)
- Make sure your smartphone is running the latest version of the software provided by the smartphone manufacturer
- Upgrade to a 4G SIM if you are currently using a 2G/3G SIM. You can either get it upgraded by visiting your nearest Airtel store, or, can get it delivered to your home by filling in this form.
- If your smartphone supports VoLTE technology, make sure it’s turned on by going to the Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options > Enable 4G > Turn on Voice & Data menu on iOS device, or, Settings > Mobile Network > Turn on VoLTE call menu on Android device. That said, the option might be tucked inside a different setting based on which company’s Android smartphone you are using.
- More importantly, if your smartphone supports Dual SIM, be sure to put the Airtel 4G SIM inside the first slot if you wish to use Airtel’s VoLTE services. Also, don’t forget to set the Network Type to Auto by going to the Settings > SIM Networks > Preferred Network Type > 4G/3G/2G menu. Again, the location of the option would vary based on the smartphone.
