Improved voice quality and expanded network coverage:

Telefónica Deutschland will be the first network operator in Germany to provide voice calls via LTE and WiFi for all customers of its home brands and partner brands. This includes both postpaid and prepaid customers. When making calls with these technologies, so-called “Voice over LTE (VoLTE)” and “Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi),” customers benefit from improved voice quality and expanded network coverage via LTE and WiFi at no additional cost. Telefónica Deutschland will gradually implement the services across the individual brands and customer groups, and plans to have completed the process by the end of March 2018. “We set new standards for our customers’ mobile freedom. This is why, as the first network operator in Germany, we will offer WiFi calls and Voice over LTE via our high-performance LTE network for all our customers,” says Cayetano Carbajo Martín, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Telefónica Deutschland. “We want to offer our customers an optimal user experience in the mobile network of Telefónica Deutschland. This is why we work consistently to further optimize our voice and data services.”

In order to use Voice over LTE (VoLTE), customers must have access to the fast LTE (4G) network. Telefónica Deutschland is the only German mobile operator who as a general principle supplies its LTE network for all customers and partners. Therefore, with the release of VoLTE and VoWiFi, basically customers of all home brands and partner brands can in the future benefit from excellent HD-voice quality as well as from significantly shorter call setup times. All customers need in order to make VoLTE calls is a VoLTE-enabled mobile device. They can then make the required adjustments in the settings, with no need for additional activation by the provider. The hardware manufacturers are responsible for whether and when a respective end-device supports VoLTE. New smartphone models will be activated for the service as soon as the manufacturers provide VoLTE-enabled firmware.

Customers can use Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) if they have access to a WiFi network and use a suitable VoWiFi-enabled mobile device – without having to install an individual app. With VoWiFi, customers benefit from improved network coverage, because, by combining it with WiFi, the mobile reception indoors can be increased seamlessly. As a result, customers can make calls in best speech quality in places where they have WiFi access, even if they only have weak or no mobile network reception at all. All important features – such as call forwarding or voice mail – remain available. VoWiFi calls switch seamlessly and without interruption from WiFi to VoLTE in the 4G mobile network. Of course, VoWiFi is also available to customers when they are travelling abroad. This is of an advantage, for example, when customers connect to the WiFi network in their hotel. As with VoLTE, it is up to the hardware manufacturers whether and when a respective end device supports the service. The status bar on the mobile phone, which holds the details of the network operator, indicates whether WiFi calls are activated.