Telecom operator Bharti Airtel – often referred to as Airtel – started rolling out its VoLTE service in different parts of the country since September this year. Airtel first launched its VoLTE service in Mumbai back in September, and since then, it has launched its VoLTE service in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Now today, Airtel has announced the launch of its VoLTE service in Chennai.
Now that the VoLTE service is launched, Airtel customers in Chennai can make HD quality voice calls that have faster setup times. Moreover, with VoLTE, customers can keep on using Internet at higher data rate even when they have an ongoing voice call, unlike 4G which switches to 3G when you make or receive a phone call.
Having said that, customers also don’t have to pay anything extra to be able to make voice calls or use mobile data on VoLTE network. They will be charged based on their existing plans.
However, to be able to make use of Airtel’s VoLTE services, customers are required to have an Airtel 4G SIM and a VoLTE enabled smartphone. Here’s the entire list of smartphones compatible with Airtel’s VoLTE service.
“Having built a world class 4G network in Chennai, we are delighted to extend our service portfolio by rolling out VoLTE calling in the city. We invite our customers to experience the service. We plan to expand our VoLTE footprint across Tamil Nadu over the next few months.” said Manoj Murali, HUB CEO, Kerala & Tamil Nadu, 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.
